Love vs Death
by Yamamoto-Niki-Chan
Summary: !TADAMU! Sequel to Love vs. Jealousy! It's been a week since Tadase and Amu started dating. Amu has been having reoccurring dreams of almost getting killed by an assassin possibly sent by Saaya. But what happens when her dreams start coming to life? Can Tadase's love keep Amu alive? Rated T for some violence later on and possible swearing later on as well.
1. Chapter 1

_**A/N: Whew. It's been a while. Sorry about that guyss. New fandoms=new life pretty much lol. As request from a gracious reader of mine, I have finally decided to post the first chapter of the sequel to Love vs. Jealousy. So if you haven't read Love vs. Jealousy, I suggest you read that before you read this or you will be VEERYY confused.**_

_**Anywho, since I was asked if I was going to post anything new by that reader, it shall be dedicated to you, Ms. April aka AnimeFanGirl453.**_

_**And with that said, I will decide on one person per chapter to dedicate the chapter to because I'm nice like that. ^^ So if you give a nice review, or I remember you from previous stories of mine, you just might get a dedication~ **_

_**Back on topic, let's get on to the story. This story will be a bit angsty and might get violent, so I hope you all can handle this. But, this chapter is a bit cute and fluffy at the beginning, so enjoy~**_

_**Disclaimer: I don't own Shugo Chara! or it's characters. I do however own my OC Niki. And one of my friends (who I'm not sure if she'll be reading this) owns Eva/Evangeline. **_

* * *

_**Love vs. Death**_

_**-One-**_

_Pant. Run. Get away. That was Amu's inner thoughts as she ran away from whatever—whoever—was chasing her. She was scared. She wanted to be out of here. Out of this terrifying dream. For the fifth time that week, she was having a nightmare about someone being out to kill her. They dreams weren't always the same. Some had Tadase in them. Others just had her. But most of the time, the murder looked the same. It was hard to tell though, because they were always in shadows somehow. And in every dream, Amu never woke up until the person was right in front of her about to kill her. She hated sleeping now; half the time she'd try to stay up all night. Sometimes she could stay up, but other times she would fall asleep at some point. Like in this case. _

_So Amu had to deal with these dreams where she always got close to being murdered by some assassin who was like a ninja or something (that idea made Amu think about one of her old friends who used to pretend he was a samurai and ninja and scare her at lunch). Sometimes Amu wished she didn't need sleep to make it through the day. She also wished her boyfriend wouldn't get so worried when she came to school looking like a zombie. As much as she liked his concern for her, she didn't want him knowing why she never sleeps. That would just worry him even more. _

_For those who don't know, Amu's boyfriend would be the Hotori Tadase, AKA the most handsome, popular guy Amu's school. Sure, Amu got mean looks from the other girls when she and Tadase would walk together in the hallways holding hands (which Amu still wasn't used to, even if it had already been a week since they started dating), but she loved Tadase and wouldn't give him up for the world. She might never get the chance to have such a good looking man again if she let Tadase go._

_These thoughts going through her head as she slept made her dream calm down slightly. Dream Amu had managed to outrun the ninja-samurai person. Tadase had appeared even and ran with her to somewhere safer. They ended up in an old, boarded up mansion somehow. Tadase managed to find a way in (Lord knows how he did; this was Tadase we were talking about, and dreams can be pretty random anyways) and let Amu get in before him. Inside, Tadase led Amu into a living room and sat her on an old couch. _

"_You should be safe in here Amu." Tadase said. "Be careful. You know that whoever that person is won't stop at anything until you're dead. Which means you can't be roaming around like that! At least not without me." _

_Amu nodded. "Gomen, Tadase-kun. Mama wanted me to go grocery shopping for her." _

_Tadase smiled. "It's fine, Amu. Just please be more careful. I don't want you getting hurt, or worse, killed." _

"_I know. I'm sorry." Amu looked down. _

"_Stop apologizing, Amu." Tadase laughed. "You did nothing wrong."_

"_Well then why the hell am I being hunted down by some stupid samurai dude?!" Amu burst out. _

_Tadase put his finger on Amu's lips to quiet her. "Shh. I don't know. But obviously it's for no reason. You're too cute to be wanted dead." _

_Amu blushed. "T-thanks…"_

_Tadase laughed again. "See what I mean? Adorable."_

_Tadase ruffled Amu's hair, causing her to look at him. She opened her mouth to same something, but forgot completely what she was going to say when Tadase kissed her. She melted against his touch. He pulled away and smiled, taking Amu's hand and interlacing their fingers._

"_I love you." He whispered. "And I'll do anything to keep you alive." _

Amu woke up with a smile on her face. What a nice twist to an at first terrifying dream. She sat up and looked at the clock. She noticed her phone had a couple messages on it. She picked up the old phone and looked at the messages. One was from Tadase. The other from her friend best friend, Yamamoto Niki. She smiled even wider. She looked at Tadase's message first.

'_Good morning, Princess. You're probably not even up yet, are you? Haha, of course not. It's the weekend. Well, have a nice rest. And stop staying up late. I don't like seeing you look so tired. It makes me worried. Message me back when you wake up, okay? Love you xoxo' _

Amu blushed at the message. She decided to look at Niki's message before answering either of the messages. She backed out of Tadase's messaged and went onto Niki's message. Classic Niki had cute little faces in her message like she always did.

'_Amu-chan~ hihi! I know it's a bit early. You're probably not awake. Either that or you stayed up all night again and you are awake. Anyways, we need to hang out today! c; Maybe at around lunch if you're up by then? Byebye! ^0^ 3'_

Amu thought about Niki's message as she replied to Tadase's message. Did she want to leave the house today? She was still fairly tired, having only falling asleep at around three or four in the morning. Then again, Tadase would probably also ask if she wanted to go out with him today. And if she refused to him, he'd get worried. She finished typing up her message and looked at it for a second.

'_Princess? Since when am I a Princess? / I didn't stay up late last night, okay? I'll stop, though. Tonight I'll go to bed EXTRA early for you. I promise.'_

She lied a bit, sure. But she hated seeing Tadase worried. She didn't want him to know why she's staying up. She would always say it was school work or something. But that can't really work on a weekend unless she said she procrastinated and needed to finish a report. She said that all the time, though. Tadase would probably start getting suspicious at some point seeing as they have almost every single class together. She sent the message and went on to answering Niki with her and her cutesy faces, most of which Amu didn't understand until Niki told her.

'_I didn't stay up too late okay? I fell asleep at 3. That's good for me, right? Sure. It's past noon now, so how about in 15 minutes? I need to get dressed and tell mama I'm going out. I'll text you when I'm heading over to your place.'_

Almost immediately, she got a reply from Niki. Amu laughed slightly at how fast she was at texting. She looked at her phone again as she walked towards her closet.

'_For you, yes. I'll give you that. Fifteen minutes is fine. See you then. ^^'_

Amu put her phone on her side table as she looked for something to wear. She decided on a simple white button up tee-shirt, a red vest with a trump card pattern down the side, and a pair of red plaid shorts. When she came back from a quick shower, she picked up her phone and looked at it. A reply from Tadase.

'_Since I'm a prince, you have to be my princess, silly. That's good. Make sure you get a good night's sleep. You'll feel much more refreshed. Anyhow, what are you doing today, Amu-chan?'_

'_Oh… I will. Thanks. ^.^ I'm just about to leave. Niki-chan asked me to hang out with here. Why? Did you want to do something with me?'_

Amu slipped her phone in the back pocket of her shorts and walked down the stairs and into the kitchen where her mom was (as always). Mrs. Hinamori turned and smiled at her daughter.

"Good afternoon, Amu-chan." She said. "Are you going somewhere?"

"I'm going for lunch with Niki-chan, if that's okay." Amu replied.

"Sure, dear." Mrs. Hinamori said. "Just don't be gone too long."

"I won't, mama." Amu beamed. "Thanks."

"And be careful." Mrs. Hinamori called as Amu ran towards the door and slip some combat boots on.

"I will!" Amu called from outside the door.

With that, Amu closed the door and started heading over to Niki's house. She whipped out her phone and messaged her saying that she just left her house and was on her way. She looked around cautiously after putting her phone away. Her dream and her mother telling her to be careful reminded Amu that Saaya could do anything and be anywhere. She bit her lip, suddenly nervous to be outside. At least inside her house she was fairly safe.

_Calm down, Amu, _she told herself mentally. _Saaya isn't stupid enough to send someone out to kill you. _

She arrived at Niki's house safely. She knocked on the door and heard loud, quick footsteps, probably Niki running to get the door before anyone else. The door swung open and revealed Niki trying to push away Eva. Amu giggled and watch the two siblings fight for another short moment. Then she cleared her throat to get Niki's attention.

"_Oi_, Niki-chan. Stop fighting with your sister. We're supposed to be going out for lunch, remember?" she said.

"Oh, Amu-chan, hi!" Niki said.

"Hi Amu-_senpai_!" Eva said. "I like your outfit!"

Amu smiled. "Thanks, Eva-chan. And you don't need to call me _senpai_ outside of school. It's not like you're that much younger than me."

"But I want to." Eva said.

Niki rolled her eyes. She pushed her sister aside and stepped outside. "Alright, let's go."

"Can I come?" Eva asked.

"No." Niki snapped.

"That's a bit harsh, don't you think, Niki-chan?" Amu commented. "She's your sister."

"Yeah, but I have to see her every day at school." Niki said. "I need a break from her _sometimes_."

Amu sighed. She knew the feeling. She looked at Eva and ruffled her hair. "Sorry Eva-chan. You can come next time, maybe."

"It's okay _senpai_. I don't mind waiting." Eva smiled.

As Amu and Niki went off to find someplace to eat lunch, Amu's phone vibrated in her pocket. She took out her phone and looked at it. Finally it was a message from Tadase. Niki peaked at Amu's screen and smirked. Amu noticed and elbowed Niki with her free arm.

"I need to reply to this." She said. "Don't bug me."

Niki rolled her eyes. "Whatever."

Amu stopped and so did Niki. Amu read Tadase's response, trying to keep Niki from reading it too. She turned away from Niki so that she had more privacy.

'_Well, I did want to go out with you, but we can wait until later if you like. When do you think you two will be done? Have fun with Niki-chan, by the way._'

'_Maybe around 3 or 4PM? We can go after dinner if you like. Or for dinner. Whatever floats your boat._'

"You and Tadase-kun planning a date?" Niki questioned slyly, nearly scaring Amu.

Amu spun around and came close to hitting Niki in the face. Niki flinched slightly. Amu laughed slightly and slipped her phone in her pocket. "C'mon. Let's go. I'm hungry."

"Alright, alright." Niki said. "But if you text Tadase again, don't blame me for gushing over it. You guys are just too cute together."

Amu laughed nervously. "No we're not. You've said yourself that this couple is cute and that couple is cute. We're not one of them."

"Oh shush, you're adorable together." Niki said. "Enough said."

Amu hit Niki's arm playfully. "You're so annoying."

"You know you love me~" Niki gave Amu a cheesy grin. "But you love Tadase more right?"

"I swear to God if you don't shut up I'm going to—" Amu stopped mid-sentence.

"What are you going to do to me, Amu-chan?" Niki asked half teasingly.

"U-um…I-I think someone is following us…" Amu stammered nervously.

Niki stopped and turned around. "I don't see anyone."

"I could have sworn I heard footsteps other than ours behind us…" Amu muttered.

Niki grabbed Amu's arm and dragged her forward. "Let's go. I thought you said you were hungry."

_Don't let any of this get to your head, Amu_. Amu thought. _You're jumping to conclusions too quickly._

Despite trying to convince herself that it was nothing, Amu was still scared. What if one of her dreams came true? Surely Tadase wouldn't appear out of nowhere and save her. Niki would probably try to do something, but end up getting hurt herself in the process. No; Amu doesn't want her friends to get hurt. She considered texting Tadase, but he didn't know about the nightmares. Only Niki did. Every once in a while, Amu would find herself looking back to check if anyone was following them. And every time she could swear she seen a shadow or something dart behind something to hide behind. Maybe her mind was just playing tricks on her. Or maybe she was just delusional from her lack of sleep.

Finally, they arrived at a coffee shop and ordered something to eat and drink. Niki wanted to sit outside because of the nice weather. Amu was a little afraid to be outside because she was an easy target there. Still, she didn't want to be an annoyance to Niki, so she allowed them to eat outside. Tadase messaged her back, but Amu was hesitant to look at it. She pulled out her phone and slipped it under the table hoping Niki wouldn't notice.

"Amu-chan, I know you're texting Tadase." Niki said. "I've done that trick so many times it's not even funny. So, what'd he say?"

Amu actually hadn't had the chance to read it because pretty much immediately after Amu tried to hide her phone, Niki called her out on it. She looked down at her phone, which was a smart choice because a glass plate went flying over her head just milliseconds after she ducked her head down to read the message. Niki yelped in surprise. Amu's eyes widened when she felt something graze the top of her head.

She reached up to touch her head. Thankfully, the plate wasn't broken, so it didn't touch her head. She was glad she was paying more attention to her phone than her surroundings for once. If she didn't have her head down, the plate would have hit her temple, smashed into several dozen pieces, and maybe even cut her or knocked her out. Amu heard the plate smash against the ground.

"Amu-chan! Are you okay?" Niki asked immediately after.

Amu nodded. "_Heiki_. Luckily, the plate didn't hit me dead on."

"That was scary…" Niki whimpered slightly. "After this maybe we should go back to my house."

"Yeah…that'd be nice." Amu agreed.

So Amu quickly finished her muffin, as well as Niki finished her sandwich. The grabbed their drinks and left the area as quickly as possible without full out running. When they were as far away as they thought safe, Amu looked back at her phone to read the message Tadase sent her. There was a new message too. From a number Amu didn't recognize.

The mystery message said, '_You better watch out with where you're going. By going to that coffee shop, you passed a land mine that you don't want to step on. If I see you near there again, you're dead._'

It sounded like something Saaya would say. But how did Saaya know Amu's phone number? Amu immediately deleted the message and looked at Tadase's for some sort of comfort. She also shuffled a little bit closer to Niki for a little more comfort. Now she was scared as hell.

Tadase's message was just agreeing to the plans, saying it would be nice for them to go on a romantic dinner date. He told Amu to be careful and to try not to hurt herself even more. Thinking about getting hurt made Amu's newly stitched cuts ache suddenly. She winced slightly as she walked on her left leg; the leg that had been cut at the ankle.

"Amu-chan? _Doshitano_?" Niki asked, noticing the wince and slight limp that Amu had suddenly went into. "Did you hurt yourself when we were running?"

Amu shook her head. "_Iie_, I'm fine. I'm still getting used to my stitches, I guess."

"Oh yeah, you got most of your cuts stitched finally, didn't you?"

Amu nodded. "A couple days ago. Haven't I shown you?"

"Nope. Maybe when we get back to my house, you can show me."

The thought of going somewhere safer than out here made Amu forget the sudden pain in her ankle. She wanted to hurry now. So she grabbed Niki's wrist. Niki tried to protest, but just got dragged forward with a "W-whoa!", and a few seconds of stumbling. The faster Amu got to safety, the better she would feel.

* * *

_**Translation corner: I will be repeating translations that I may have done in the previous series/fic. **_

_**Gomen: I'm sorry/Sorry**_

_**Oi: Hey! **_

_**Senpai: Upperclassmen**_

_**Heiki: I'm fine.**_

_**Doshitano: What's the matter?**_

_**Iie: No**_

_**I think that's it. I hope you enjoyed, and I'll see you whenever I post the second chapter!**_


	2. Chapter 2

**A/N: Yay, chapter two! I tried for a somewhat...cliffhanger ending. But it fails and it's not very suspenseful...**

**I originally had this chapter half finished on a different computer, but I'm currently using one that doesn't have any of my fanfictions on it, so I just re-wrote it. **

**Uh...what else to say? Oh, well I guess I can dedicate this to my friend Diana (whose account name on here changes so much I don't remember it at the moment but if she even still reads my fics, I would hope she knows I'm referring to her. xD) because Eva is technically...her (because I'm Niki and I'm her virtual onee-chan xD)**

**Anywho, disclaimerr! I don't own Shugo Chara! or it's character; they belong to PeachPit. I only only Niki...and kinda own Eva? lol. **

* * *

**-Two-**

The duo stopped in front of Niki's house and caught their breath. Amu looked around just to be safe and stood up straight. She waited for Niki to finish catching her breath before making her way up to the door of her friends' house. She let Niki open the door and they slid in, trying to be as quiet as possible in hopes of not being heard or noticed by Eva. Unfortunately, the younger girl was in the living room on her phone, and watching Dr. Who.

Amu always wondered how they managed to get English TV shows in Japan, but didn't have time to wonder anymore, because Eva had spotted them and looked at them from the couch, while at the same time taking glances at the television. Niki stared back at her sister silently, hoping that the latter didn't say anything. Amu stayed quiet too.

"You guys are back sooner than I thought." Eva said as she paused what she was watching and looked back at the two older females.

"Something…came up." Amu said trying not to sound like something bad happened.

"Like what?" Eva questioned curiously.

"Uh…" Amu hesitated. "The café…was closing."

Eva blinked and looked like she wanted to say something, but shrugged. "Okay."

Amu sighed in relief and let Niki drag her up the stairs to her room. She closed the door and locked it, just in case her sister tried to get in. Amu sighed and sat down on the chair in front of Niki's vanity. Niki sat on her bed.

"Are you seriously okay?" the dark haired Canadian-Japanese said.

Amu nodded. "You saw. The plate didn't touch me."

"Not that. Your leg." Niki pointed to one of Amu's still injured legs.

Amu looked down and examined her legs, checking to see if the stitching had popped somewhere or something. She shook her head. "Nothing's wrong here. I guess the running just made it hurt or something."

Niki looked Amu over critically. "Okay. I'll take your word for it then."

"Anyways." Amu took out her phone. "What should I do?"

"About what?"

"Should I tell Tadase about this or not?"

Niki shrugged. "It's up to you."

Amu bit her lip. "If I tell him now, he'll get worried. He might even cancel our plans to keep me safe."

"But…" Niki said, sensing more.

"But if I don't tell him at all, I might end up acting suspicious and still worry him." Amu continued.

"So essentially, you're screwed either way."

Amu nodded. "_Un_…I guess so…"

"Just tell him now and see what happens." Niki said. "You never know."

Amu sighed and looked at her phone. "I'm nervous…"

Niki rolled her eyes and held her hand out for Amu's phone. "Let me do it then."

"Are you sure?" Amu handed Niki her phone.

"Trust me I've got this." Niki said, taking the phone and typing rapidly on it. She gave it back to Amu to look it over. "There you go."

Amu took her phone back and looked at the message.

'_Hey…Tadase. I have something to tell you…_

_By the way, our plans are still a go, right? ^^_'

Amu blinked and looked at Niki. "Seriously. You got me down."

Niki grinned. "Naturally."

"But was the last part really necessary?"

"Just send it." Niki said, rolling her eyes.

"_Hai, hai._" Amu hesitantly hit the send button.

Niki watched as Amu put the phone down on the vanity table and stared at the mirror on it. She stood up and put her hand on Amu's shoulder. "Don't worry, Amu-chan. I'm sure Tadase wouldn't cancel a date with you."

Amu looked back at her friend. "You think _that's _what I'm worried about?"

Niki shrugged. "I dunno. I'm just trying to help…"

"I just don't want Tadase to be worrying about something that's my fault…" Amu muttered. "If he were to get hurt again because of me…I don't know what I'd do…"

Niki squeezed Amu's shoulder comfortingly. "He won't get hurt anymore. And neither will you."

Amu's phone vibrated on the table. She turned it over quickly and looked at the screen.

_There is 1 new message(s) from Tadase _

"Are you just gonna stare at the screen?" Niki questioned. "Just read it. Jeez."

"Sorry…" Amu mumbled and opened up the message.

'_What's the matter, Amu-chan? Did something happen? _

_And of course. Why would I cancel?_'

Amu bit her lip, trying to find a safe way of replying. Straightforward or cautious? Her hands started moving on their own as she wrote the reply.

'_Uh, nothing serious…just…something happened at the café I went to with Niki-chan…_'

She hesitantly hit send put the phone back down. She looked around and sighed. "I'm bored… It sucks that we couldn't be out for much longer…"

Niki shrugged. "Well you obviously didn't know you would almost get attacked. Don't worry about it. There are tons of things we can do in here. We can give you a _kawaii _makeover, bug my sister, play some video games…and do some other things probably."

Amu stared at Niki like she was crazy. "_Kawaii _makeover?"

"Okay never mind about that then." Niki said just when Amu's phone vibrated again.

Amu picked it up and read over Tadase's reply quickly.

'_Are you okay? Did you get hurt? What happened? Amu-chan, don't make me worry about you. Enough things have happened to you… I don't need you more hurt._'

Amu stared at the message for a while, feeling how worried Tadase must be after all Amu had been through. Finally, she managed to type up a response.

'_Sorry. I'm fine. Nothing serious. It was just a plate. It missed me though because my head was down. I don't try to make you worried…but—I think this might have to do with Saaya…_'

Amu closed her eyes and hit send. "Let's…go downstairs. I'm sure there's something to do…"

Amu's phone vibrated in her hand again and she tilted her head. Tadase didn't text _that _fast, did he? She looked at it as she stood up and nearly choked on her own saliva. It definitely wasn't a text from Tadase. She read it, hoping Niki wasn't watching over her shoulder (though she probably was).

'_I know your every movement_'

And another message after it saying, '_You better watch your back_.'

Amu blinked. "Uh…"

Niki looked at Amu, who was clutching her phone tightly, hiding it from Niki's vision. "Amu-chan? _Doshitano_?"

Amu shook her head. "N-nothing. Let's go."

Amu ran out of the room, but Niki grabbed her arm. "Amu. You got a text. What was it?"

"N-nothing!" Amu insisted, but to no avail.

Niki looked at Amu. "Amu-chan. We're friends, right? C'mon. Show me the text."

Amu hesitated. She was scared. She didn't want to get anyone else involved with this…but Niki was right. They were friends. Amu should rely on her at least a bit. She looked at her phone again and slowly gave it to Niki.

Niki looked at the anonymous text. "Oh…"

Amu nodded. "Yeah…"

"I think you might have a problem…"

"You _think_?"

"Probably shouldn't tell Tadase-kun about these anonymous texts."

"No. Not at all."

Niki fake coughed. "Anyways. Let's go downstairs…"

Amu nodded and took her phone back. The two went down the stairs, suddenly paranoid about their surroundings, especially so with Amu. She wondered if this anonymous person could get into Niki's house or not. Was it possible to sneak past Eva? Would the person hurt Eva to get past? A lot of things could happen to Amu's friends thanks to her. And that scared her the most.

After spending some more time at Niki's house, Amu went home as quickly and cautiously as she could, paranoid about every sound she heard; every shadow she seen. She entered her house and closed the door, quietly locking it so that her family wasn't at stake either. She hoped no one questioned her about it.

"_Tadaima…_" She called out, trying to sound enthusiastic but most likely failing.

"Welcome home, honey!" Amu's mother called back. "Would you like a snack?"

"No thanks, mama." Amu said. "I'm fine."

She made her way up the stairs to her room and closed the door behind her before Ami could realize she's home and bug her. She guessed she could understand Niki's problem with Eva always bugging her. Amu sighed and plopped on her bed, lying down on her back and staring up at the ceiling, thinking about what could happen.

"What am I going to do…?" she muttered.

She looked at her phone and realized there was a new message. This time from Tadase, to her relief. She had completely forgotten that she was talking to Tadase. She found the message and read it over, trying to get some comfort from it.

'_That's all? Well as long as you're okay. But nothing you do will keep me from worrying about you. Especially in this predicament. Do you think we should have our dinner somewhere else? I've always wanted to try a romantic dinner at my house. But if you don't want to, we don't have to._'

Amu managed to smile slightly. She messaged him back quickly; her mood slightly boosted remembering that she and Tadase had a date planned and that he still wanted to go through with it. That probably would change if he knew about the anonymous messages, though.

'_Sorry in advance then for any time I make you worry, then. Yeah, of course we can do the dinner at your place! Actually…I really like your cooking anyways…_'

Amu contemplated writing 'It'll be safer anyways' but thought that it might make Tadase curious. She hit send as it was and decided to start getting ready for her date. She wondered if it would be alright to not tell Tadase about the anonymous texts as she walked into the bathroom to take a shower, but decided it was for the better.

She came out of the shower and checked if Tadase messaged her back yet as she dried her hair with a towel. Nothing yet. She moved towards her closet to find some appropriate clothing to wear and put the outfit on.

"Have you gotten her yet?" A mysterious voice asked.

"No. I have not." Another voice replied. "She was too quick for me."

The first mysterious voice sighed in exasperation. "Just find her and take her! If you have to, get her boyfriend as bait or something!"

The other person bowed and apologized. "I'm sorry, ma'am. I'm doing my best."

"Well try harder. Jeez!" the first person, who must have been a woman, crossed her arms. "Now leave. I have other things to attend to."

"Yes ma'am." The second person bowed once again and turned away to leave.

"Stupid good for nothing people." The woman grumbled after the mysterious man left. "How long does it take to kidnap a person? Jeez."

Amu ran down the stairs hurriedly. "Mama! I'm going out!" she called, slipping her shoes on as quickly as possible.

"Where to?" Amu's mom asked, walking into the living room and seeing the dressed up Amu. She nodded in understanding. "Ah. Don't be too late, and be careful, okay! Have fun!"

"Bye mama." Amu opened the door, rushed out of it, and set off for Tadase's house.

She had gotten another mysterious text, just before she was getting ready to text Tadase that she was on her way to his house. The message had said, '_You better watch your back. Next time I won't miss._' It was then that Amu _really _wanted to get to Tadase's house as quickly as she could so she wouldn't get hurt. She needed some sort of comfort at a time like this, even if Tadase didn't even know what was going on.

She heard footsteps behind her and stopped. Stopping may not have been the best thing, but somehow, she knew something bad was going to happen, so she quickly moved to the side just in time to see something sharp barely miss her. She started to run again and thanked God that she was actually a decently fast runner.

She arrived at Tadase's house and knocked on the door, trying to act as normal as possible. She peaked over her shoulder to see if the person followed her all the way to Tadase's and hoped they gave up half way. Tadase opened up the door and smiled at Amu.

"Oh, Amu-chan!" he said happily. "You're here a bit early!"

"S-sorry…" Amu stammered, rubbing the back of her head.

Tadase laughed. "Don't worry about it. The earlier you are, the more time I'll have with you."

Amu blushed slightly and Tadase smiled. He wrapped an arm around Amu's shoulder. "Anyways, come in. I was just about to get everything ready."

Amu sighed in relief, pleased to be in a hopefully safe place with someone she could trust. Tadase led her to a place to sit and told her he'd be back in a couple of minutes. She nodded and watched as Tadase left the room. She sighed again and pulled out her phone, feeling it vibrate a little before Tadase let her in.

'_Quit running away and maybe we'll get somewhere._'

Amu was half tempted to ask who the hell was sending these messages, but opted out of it and bit her lip. Just what did this person want from her? Did they want to kill her, or kidnap her? Or both? Maybe now would be a good time to tell Tadase. But she was still afraid...she didn't want Tadase to get hurt. Yet, at the same time, she needed a shoulder to cry on. Both physically and metaphorically.

Tadase walked back into the room. "Amu-chan, I'm back!" he said happily. Then he noticed Amu looking at her phone with such a terrified look on her face. "Amu-chan…? _Doshitano_?"

Amu looked up quickly. "N-nothing!" she put her phone down nervously.

"What were you just looking at?" Tadase asked walking up to the table she was at.

"I said it was nothing…" Amu mumbled. "It's—it's not important…"

"Amu-chan, you're worrying me…" Tadase said. "You're acting strange. What's wrong?"

Amu sighed and looked down, still gripping her phone. Tadase sat down across from Amu and put his hand on top of hers. "Amu-chan. Let me see your phone, please…"

Amu hesitantly let go of her phone uttering a quiet, "I-I'm sorry…"

Tadase took Amu's hand in his and squeezed it slightly before taking Amu's phone and looked at it. Amu bit her lip nervously; afraid of what his response would be as he read over the anonymous messages, still holding her hand more tightly now. Amu covered her face with her free hand in attempt at hiding even though she was trapped by Tadase's other hand.

Tadase looked at Amu. "Amu-chan…who sent these?"

"I—I…" Amu stammered, playing with her hair nervously. "…don't know…"

* * *

**A/N: very little Japanese used in this chapter (even though there are plenty of times I could use it)**

**Un: I think it's kinda like 'yup' or a sound you would say if you were agreeing to something.**

**Hai: We should all know by now that it means 'yes'.**

**Kawaii: I would hope most of you know it's 'cute'.**

**Doshitano: 'What's the matter?' or 'What's wrong?'**

**Tadaima: 'I'm home' or 'I'm back'.**

**And that's it I hope besides a repeat of the word doshitano. I hope you enjoyed! Hopefully I can get the next chapter done by next week. Or at least before my birthday. Ja-ne!**


	3. Chapter 3

**A/N: HEYY. Finally I finished this. It's not really much. But I'm planning to make something interesting happen in the next chapter. I mean...I guess this chapter is kind of interesting. But whatever. I'm not going to spoil anything. Haha. Anyways, enjoyy. Also screw dedications because I'm a lazy butt who doesn't even know who to dedicate this to. Lol. **

**Disclaimer: You know the drill; I don't own SC! or it's characters. I only own any of the OCC-ness I make happen, as well as Niki and Eva (well I don't own her personally. But I wrote her character so whatever)**

* * *

**-Three-**

There was a long pause. Tadase's grip on Amu's hand only tightened even more as his grip on Amu's phone loosened slightly. Amu was painfully waiting for whatever Tadase was going to say, knowing it was either going to be worry towards her, anger towards the anonymous messenger, or bitterness towards himself for not realizing it sooner. The pink haired teen heard her boyfriend sigh.

"Amu-chan…" he said slowly. "When did this start?"

"A-after that plate was chucked at me." Amu said hesitantly. "When me and Niki-chan ran away…I got the first message then."

"You were messaging me at the time." Tadase observed. "Yet you didn't tell me?"

Amu tried not to cry. "I—I was afraid…"

"Of me?" Tadase looked at Amu.

Amu shook her head. "_I-iie_...The messager. I was too afraid they might somehow find out. And…I didn't want you to worry about me…"

Tadase sighed and let go of Amu's hand finally. She put it in her lap with the other one and looked down. She didn't want to cry in front of Tadase. That would just make him even more worried. Her hands formed fists on her lap. Suddenly, Tadase was next to her with his arm wrapped around her shoulder.

"Amu-chan." The blond prince-like teen said seriously. "Look at me."

Amu bit her lip and slowly lifted her head. Tadase sighed for the umpteenth time and Amu felt incredibly bad. Tadase reached up and touched Amu's face, wiping away tears Amu hadn't even noticed she'd shed. She blinked quickly.

"Don't cry, Princess…" Tadase said softly. "I just don't want you to get hurt."

Amu rubbed her eyes. "I—I'm really sorry…for not telling you. I…didn't want to get you involved…"

Tadase pulled Amu closer to him. "If you thought you could keep me from getting involved in something like this, you're wrong." He kissed Amu's forehead. "Amu-chan, you know I love you. And you know I'll do anything to keep you alive. I don't know what I'd do if you died or disappeared."

Amu blushed, but smiled slightly. "Tadase…"

"Anyways." Tadase said, brushing some hair out of Amu's face. "Do you have any idea on who might be the cause of this?"

"Uhm…" Amu thought for a second. "Saaya…would be the most probable."

"Do you want me to go find Saaya and get her to stop?" Tadase offered.

Amu shook her head quickly. "You…you could get hurt."

"But she was my ex." Tadase said. "She still loves me. I don't think she could hurt me even if she wanted to."

"But her goons might." Amu replied. "She has to have someone. Like…like a hitman or something. She…she might even kidnap you to get to me."

Tadase looked at Amu. Again he sighed reluctantly and ran a hand through his hair. "Okay fine. But...we can't just sit around and do nothing about this."

Amu stayed silent. That was actually exactly what her plan was going to be. Just ignore it until they either stopped…or until something unavoidable came that she couldn't ignore. She bit her lip nervously. She really did hope that she could just ignore everything and they'd give up. But somehow, she knew that wouldn't happen.

"You want to sit around and ignore it, don't you?" Tadase asked. It sounded more like a statement, though.

Amu nodded slowly. "What can we do anyways? For all we know, the person that chased me here might be outside."

"Chased you?" Tadase blinked in surprised.

Amu covered her mouth, realizing what she had said. "Right… There was a…run in…when I was coming to your house…that—that's why I came so early."

"That's a problem." Tadase noted. "I wouldn't want that happening to you every time you left your house…"

Amu blinked. "Tadase? What are you thinking?"

Tadase laughed awkwardly and rubbed the back of his head. "Ah…I was, uh, thinking that it would be a good idea for you to…stay over for a few days…because it might…you know…get them off your back. Or confuse them. Whoever 'they' are."

Amu blushed. "Stay…with you…? I-I don't know if mama will let me. Let alone papa."

"I'm sure we can come up with something to keep your father from not knowing." Tadase said. "I just don't want you to get hurt, Amu-chan. This is for you, not me. Just call your mother and ask."

Amu nodded hesitantly and picked up her phone. She stood up and left the room, then dialed her home phone. She wasn't sure who would pick up. But she hoped it was her mother. Because her mother gave her and Tadase a little bit more room to do what they want. If it was her father…well obviously he would freak out.

"_Hello?_" Ami's voice said on the other line. "_Onee-chan?_"

"Ami. Is mama home?" Amu asked.

"_She went shopping_." Ami responded. "_Papa is here though_."

"I need to talk to mama." Amu said. "Do you think she'll be back soon?"

Ami paused. "_Ah. Actually she just came back._"

Amu sighed in relief. Such good timing. Amu heard her sister calling out to their mother. Then the phone was handed off and Amu's mother spoke. "_Amu-chan? What is it?_"

"_A-ano_…" Amu stammered. "T-Tadase wants me to stay…at his place…f-for a bit…"

"_Oh?_" Amu's mother said. "_For how long?_"

"Just a few days…" Amu responded.

"_Well…_" Amu's mother trailed off. "_Why not? I'll come up with something to tell papa._"

"R-really…?" Amu questioned. "I-it's okay?"

"_Within reason_." Amu's mother replied. "_Just…be careful, okay?_"

"O-okay…" Amu said. "_Arigato, _mama."

"_Don't get into too much trouble, dear._" Amu's mother said.

"I won't. Bye, mama." Amu closed the phone and went back into the living room.

Tadase stood up to meet Amu, who was putting her phone in her pocket. "Well?" he asked.

"She said it was okay." Amu replied. "I should probably get some stuff though. Want to come?"

"It would probably be best." Tadase said. "I'll protect you if I have to."

Amu nodded. "Okay… Thank you, Tadase…"

Tadase smiled and kissed Amu's forehead. "Anything for the princess."

Amu blushed and walked towards the front door to put her shoes on. Tadase chuckled lightly and followed Amu to the door. He slipped his shoes on and put on a light jacket, then helped Amu like the gentleman he was.

Tadase kept his arm around Amu the whole walk, holding her as close to him as he could, just in case something happened. Because anything could happen. He also made sure he was aware of every sound, every person walking. Maybe he was going to extensive levels, but he didn't need Amu hurt. Or more hurt than she already was.

"Tadase…" Amu said. "You're squishing me…"

"Well that's because you're squishable." Tadase replied.

"But it hurts…" Amu complained.

Tadase quickly loosened his grip. "Sorry. I just…"

"I understand, Tadase." Amu said. "But I'm fine. You're here. So I feel safe."

Tadase smiled and let go of Amu's waist. He switched to holding her hand and squeezed it lightly. "Good."

The arrived at Amu's house and Amu opened the front door. Tadase held it open for Amu and then walked in himself after Amu was inside. Amu went upstairs, while Tadase stayed downstairs. Amu's mother walked into the room, seen Tadase and smiled.

"Hello, Tadase-kun." She said.

"_Konbanwa_, Hinamori-san." Tadase replied, bowing respectfully.

"It's nice to see you again." Mrs. Hinamori said. "Why don't you sit down? I'd like to talk to you for a bit, before Amu-chan comes back down."

Tadase nodded and sat down. Mrs. Hinamori sat across from him and began to talk.

Meanwhile, in upstairs, Amu was both looking for clothing, and trying to calm herself down at the same time. She was considering messaging…someone about what was happening, but decided her friends would probably end up taking it the wrong way and give her some terrible advice. Especially Niki and Rima. And even if she called her old friends, she was sure someone like Yaya or Kukai would also get the wrong idea too.

Amu's mother was probably downstairs talking to Tadase about things he could and could not do, because even if she did let Amu do whatever she wanted, she too, had her limits. Amu didn't mind. She liked the freedom she had. But you couldn't _always _get what you wanted. Her mother's rules were short and simple. Don't be out too long; be careful; and don't get yourself killed.

Three things that were already hard to go by with the situation she was in. Especially the last one. Because she was sure that Saaya was either out to kill her, or, at the least, severely injure her. But Amu trusted that Tadase would be there for her no matter what. And her friends too, if they were needed. She knew she wasn't alone in this fight. And would do anything to get out alive. But the main question was, how?

Amu would have to figure that out later with Tadase. Right now she needed to go down and leave before she had to think of a way to explain to her father where she was going with Tadase. Unless her mother had already come up with something. But she still couldn't be upstairs all evening. It was already getting pretty dark. She sighed, grabbed the backpack she had piled all the clothing and stuff she needed, and shouldered it. Then she made her way downstairs to meet up with Tadase.

"I'm ready." She said when she reached the last step.

Amu's mother looked up. "Back so soon? I thought you would've taken longer than that, seeing as how picky you are when it comes to clothes."

Amu pouted. "Mama~! That's unfair."

Amu's mother laughed, as well as Tadase. "Sorry dear. But it's true."

Amu sighed. "Well I'm done and ready."

Tadase rose to his feet. "Your mother said she would drive us, seeing as its getting dark."

"Now, before you complain, Amu-chan, it's not like I don't trust Tadase-kun." Amu's mother said quickly. "It's just I think it'd be safer if I drove you."

Amu shook her head. "No, no. I'd like that. I think it would be safer too."

Amu's mother smiled. "Good. I'm glad we all agree. Now come on, kids, let's get going before it gets darker."

* * *

**A/N: Again, sorry for the lame and boring chapter. It'll ramp up, I promise. I have a _delicious _plan (god I watch too many videos by a specific youtuber who I won't name because I'm sure no one will know). But anyways. Yeah -cue evil laughter-**

**ANYWHO. Japanese time (yes, even if I've translated a word in the previous chapter, I'll translate it again. Sorry if it annoys you. And also sorry for getting things wrong. But to the guest person who said senpai is also teacher...I've never heard people in Animes call their teacher senpai. That's sen_sei_. You probably just got confused, is all. Sen_pai _is an upperclassman or someone of your higher.) I keep getting distracted. NOW we go to the Japanese. Even though it's only like two words or something.**

**Iie: 'no'**

**Onee-chan: In this context, 'older sister'. **

**Ano: I believe it means 'um/uh'**

**Konbanwa: I don't know if I spelled it properly. But it means 'good evening'.**

**Ayy there were go. I don't think I've actually used 'konbanwa' in any of my fics. So there you go. new word!**

**I hope you enjoyed this, and reviews and positive/helpful critics are very much so loved and...well, helpful. Bye my lovely readers~ **


	4. Chapter 4

**A/N: Finally finished thiiss. (Actually it only took a day but whatever) This chapter is where things get...serious. It may seem alright the first hundred words...but...well, you'll see. c; **

**Also just a warning, this chapter has a bit of violence and blood. Not much. But if you don't like the idea of...blood. Then you might not like this chapter. Uh...I don't know what else to say so...**

**Disclaimer: I don't own SC! I only own the two nurse characters I randomly made up and any OOC-ness. **

**Enjoy!**

* * *

**-Four-**

It was a quiet drive. Amu's mother insisted Amu sit in the back with Tadase, so Amu was in the back rather than sitting in the passenger's seat like she normally did. She was feeling a bit tired, but tried to stay awake for the sake of her safety (because who knew what could happen). Tadase wasn't making it very easy though, seeing as his arm was around her in a way that made her incredibly comfortable leaning against him. She yawned, covering her mouth slightly.

Tadase laughed and looked over at Amu. "Tired?"

Amu nodded. "Kinda."

"Why don't you sleep then?" Tadase asked. "It may not be a far drive from my house, but a 15 minute nap is better than being tired the whole ride."

Amu shook her head. "I'll just stay awake. I can sleep when we get to your house…"

"If you insist, Amu-chan." Tadase said. "But I don't plan on waking you up if you do fall asleep in the car until we get home."

Amu shrugged. "I won't fall asleep."

Tadase smiled slyly. "Is that a challenge?"

"Maybe." Amu said. "What's the prize if I win?"

"I'll decide that when _I _win." Tadase responded.

"You're on." Amu said. She shifted her position and crossed her arms. "I won't fall asleep."

Once again, the car went quiet besides the sound of Amu's mother's soft giggling and her daughter. It was nice and peaceful; Tadase was watching Amu, who was looking out the window in attempt to avoid falling asleep, and Amu's mother was driving at a steady pace. But then the silence was abruptly broken.

_Crash_! A rock flew through the opposite window and landed in Amu's lap as a yelp of surprise caused her to jolt up straight. Well, at least the rock had kept her from falling asleep. But it also scared the hell out of her. Tadase had quickly moved to see if Amu was okay and Amu's mother pulled over and looked back at her daughter worriedly.

"Amu-chan, are you okay?" Tadase asked.

Amu nodded slowly. "Y-yeah…it just…scared me."

Amu's mother eyed the now shattered back seat window. "Where did that come from?"

Neither Amu nor Tadase answered the question. Instead, Amu looked down at the rock quietly with Tadase. Amu's eyes widened and she snapped her head up. "Mama. Just drive. Please. You can fix the window later. Take the money from my wallet to pay for it."

"O-Okay…" Amu's mother said. She started to drive again, clueless about what was happening.

Amu looked down at the rock in her lap and the note that had been attached to it. She exchanged looks with Tadase, who had tightened his grip on Amu suddenly, as if the attacker could somehow hurt her without even being near them anymore.

"W-what do we do about this, Tadase?" Amu whispered.

"Ignore it." Tadase responded quietly. "I promise they won't get you."

Amu nodded. "Right."

She looked at the note again. '_Nice cover you've got here. But you can't hide in a car forever. The moment you get out…watch out._'

"Everything okay back there?" Amu's mother asked, looking at them through the rear view mirror. "Amu-chan didn't get hurt, did she?"

"No, Hinamori-san." Tadase responded. "Amu-chan's okay. Don't worry."

"Alright." Amu's mother said. "Well we're almost at your house, Tadase-kun."

"Okay." Tadase nodded.

Amu's mother stopped in front of Tadase's house. It was almost 9PM. Amu had fallen asleep, completely forgetting about the bet she had made with Tadase. Not that it even mattered anymore because of what happened. Tadase gently nudged Amu to wake her up.

"Amu-chan." He called softly. "We're here."

Amu grumbled something and opened her eyes. "I'm tired."

"I know, I know." Tadase said. "But you can sleep inside."

Amu sighed. "Okay, okay."

She slid out of the car and waited for Tadase to join her. Then she waved her mother good-bye and her mother drove off. Tadase took Amu's hand and walked towards his house. Amu, who was half asleep still, stumbled along behind him, not really paying attention to what was going on. Tadase was also not paying much attention to Amu, which was a bad decision on his part.

Amu was too tired to feel anything. So when something did hit her, she didn't realize it. Tadase didn't realize it either until he and Amu were inside his house and Amu had collapsed on the couch. At first, he wasn't sure what he was looking at, at first. But when he seen blood he understood. His eyes widened and he ran up to her.

"Amu-chan!" he called, shaking Amu slightly. "Amu-chan, please tell me you're just asleep."

Amu groaned and Tadase sighed in relief. At least she wasn't dead or unconscious. He looked at her worriedly. "It's okay. Don't worry. I'll get this out of you. You're going to be alright, Amu-chan."

Tadase hesitantly reached over Amu's body and grabbed the knife that was buried in her shoulder. He pulled it out slowly, trying to keep Amu, who was now making very painful sounding sounds, calm as he pressed his palm against the bleeding wound.

The blond haired teenager looked around hastily to find something to stem the blood flow until he could get something better. His eyes settled on a silk handkerchief that was neatly folded and sitting on a shelf underneath the television set. He paused momentarily. It was his grandmother's handkerchief that she gave him before she died the year before.

"I'm sorry _obaasan_…but I need to do this." He said softly, reaching forward to grab the smooth, white cloth.

He carefully folded the handkerchief so it was easier to wrap around Amu's shoulder. His hand was already covered with her blood, which was making him nervous. He quickly tied the kerchief together tightly around the wound and laid Amu out on the couch more comfortably while he went into his bathroom to get the right supplies he needed.

He could have called the hospital. It would have been the smartest thing to do. But he felt like if he arrived and those two nurses saw Amu injured again, they'd wonder exactly what was going on. And while it was nice to have an adults help every once and a while, Tadase wasn't sure how to explain the situation to the two even though they offered to help Amu many of times. He looked through every cabinet in the bathroom, trying to find something to help Amu and quickly grabbing anything he thought would work.

He rushed back into the living room and knelt in front of Amu. He brushed some hair out of her face and noticed she was burning up for some reason. He wasn't sure if it was better than Amu was hot rather than cold. But it was still a bad thing that Amu had a fever as well as a very deep knife wound that was leaking blood through his grandmother's handkerchief.

"It's okay, Amu-chan." He said, mainly trying to convince himself. "You're okay. You're not going to die."

Amu groaned. Her face kept contorting in probably pain. Tadase sighed and tried to calm her down. She woke up and looked around, looking kind of scared. She seemed to calm down when she seen Tadase, but also looked a bit confused.

"Tadase…?" she croaked.

"I'm here." He said. "Don't move, though."

"W-why not?" Amu stammered. She tried to shift her position slightly, but winced and yelped in pain.

"That's why." Tadase replied. "Sit still."

Amu blinked and eyed her boyfriend in confusion. She didn't know what was happening. She just knew that her shoulder was freaking killing her. And that she was extremely hot. She was still tired, too. Her eyes closed again.

"Amu-chan?" Tadase said.

"Mm?" Amu replied, opening one eye.

"You're just going to sleep again, right?" Tadase asked.

Amu nodded. "Still tired."

"Okay." Tadase brushed Amu's bangs out of her face. He kissed her forehead. "I'll be here."

Amu closed her eyes again and fell back asleep, leaving Tadase to deal with her shoulder and possible fever. He gently took the silk fabric off of Amu's shoulder, making sure to keep the wound from spewing blood everywhere. Then he carefully put some disinfectant on it and covered it properly with gauze. He'll probably have to call the hospital eventually, but decided to get everything taken care of first.

After calming down Amu's fever slightly, Tadase grabbed a phone and called an ambulance. It might be a bit late, but, better late than never, right? He just wanted to know how bad the cut was and if she needed any sort of treatment besides stitches, anyways.

The ambulance arrived a while later. Thankfully, it didn't cause much of a commotion because not many people lived around him. Tadase helped the EMS get Amu into the ambulance. He insisted it wasn't that serious, but they still treated it as if her arm were about to fall off.

"Is she unconscious?" an EMS worker asked.

Tadase shook his head. "No. She's just asleep. She's had a…long night."

The EMS worker nodded. Tadase watched Amu carefully, worried and a bit nervous. They arrived at the hospital and by that time, Amu had woken up, still confused and in pain. Tadase was trying to help her in any way possible. The EMS worker told them to just check in seeing as it wasn't that serious, so Tadase helped Amu out of the Ambulance and into the building.

Once again, it was those two nurses. Tadase was starting to think they were the only two nurses that worked here. But when they spotted Amu they automatically went up to Tadase and Amu. Amu nodded at them in acknowledgement.

"What happened this time?" Meridian asked as if knowing that there were some major problems going on in Amu's life. "Did she get attacked again?"

Amu tried to move her arm to show them, but Kanko stopped her when she seen the wince Amu made. "Let's just check on it when we get into a room."

Amu nodded and she and Tadase followed the nurses into a checkup room. Amu hopped up on the bed with the help of Tadase and Meridian stepped in to examine Amu. Tadase sat and watched Kanko as she prepared whatever Meridian said and listened to the small talk Meridian did with Amu.

"So what happened?" Meridian asked.

Amu shrugged, but winced. "I…don't know. I was half asleep. Ask Tadase, since he noticed it."

Meridian looked over at Tadase. "Do you have answers?"

Tadase shook his head, "I wasn't paying attention when it happened. I only noticed when I had brought her inside. The knife was still stuck in her shoulder. It scared me."

"Well you did a good job of cleaning it." Kanko jumped in. "Any other person wouldn't know what to do."

"I just…didn't want her to bleed out." Tadase said, looking down. "Amu-chan will be okay, right?"

"Well…" Meridian said. "Not entirely."

Tadase blinked in surprise. Was Amu going to die? After all the work he'd done? He held his breath as he waited for someone to continue. Even Amu looked a bit shocked and confused. And of course, still slightly in pain with blood pouring down her arm as Meridian tried to clean it up as quickly as possible. No one said anything. Which didn't help Tadase's nerves. He sighed and waited to hear the news, trying not to get too impatient.

* * *

**A/N: Not much to say down here. Only one Japanese word...**

**Obaasan: Grandmother (I know it's probably not the right context because apparently it's only for any other grandmother/elder woman you see...but I'm 50% sure Tadase called his grandmother obaasan in the anime so I dunno)**

**I hope you enjoyed. And tell me what you think will happen to Amu. Will she die? Will she live? I don't know yet. Kidding. Kinda. **


	5. Chapter 5

**A/N: Heyo! I finished this chapter. ^^ I'd like to say...a lot of people (well two or three) were begging me not to kill off Amu. I have a lot planned for this story. And it's not even near being done. So do you guys really think I'd kill off Amu this early? But yeah, enjoy this cheesy, romantic chapter with...something you wouldn't expect too. I don't own SC, only Meridian and Kanko. c:**

* * *

**-Chapter Five-**

Finally, Meridian spoke, and Tadase stopped holding his breath. Amu just held her arm and watched the dark haired nurse curiously.

"She _will _be fine." Meridian said. "But…it might take a bit of work for her to heal."

"L-like what…?" Amu stammered.

"She's lost a lot of blood, already, unfortunately." Meridian explained. "It's a surprise she's still conscious. So we need to do at least one blood transfusion. And I've noticed her blood is AB. So do any of you know anyone with an AB blood type?"

"Um…" Amu thought for a second.

"Ikuto-niisan…" Tadase mumbled. "He's AB."

Tadase admitted he would've preferred someone else over Ikuto to save Amu. But…there weren't too many people he knew with AB blood type. He himself was B blood type, and he would probably kill Amu if he used his blood. So he guessed Amu would be better off with Ikuto's blood inside of her.

"Do you know his phone number?" Meridian asked. "You should contact him to see if he's willing to help her."

Tadase nodded and pulled out his cellphone. He hesitantly dialed Ikuto's number.

"Yo, _ochibi oji_." Ikuto said. "What's up?"

"It's Amu-chan." Tadase explained.

"What happened to her?" Ikuto's voice was suddenly serious. "Is she okay?"

Tadase bit her lip. "You and Amu-chan have the same blood type. And…and we need your help."

"With…?" Ikuto didn't seem to understand.

"She…she needs a blood transfusion." Tadase said. "And you're the only person who can help her without poisoning her blood."

"Where are you?" Ikuto asked. "At the hospital?"

"Yeah." Tadase replied. "And uh…thanks…niisan…"

Ikuto chuckled. "Anything for my little bro. You may be annoying, but you're part of the family that took me and Utau in."

Tadase blushed slightly. "I-I'll see you later then. Just…ask to see Hinamori Amu or something."

Tadase hung up the phone and turned back to the nurses and Amu. "He's on his way."

"Well we better get Amu's shoulder stitched so that she doesn't lose any more blood." Kanko said. "It might take a while. I'll stay and wait for your friend. You can follow Meri-chan to a different room with Amu-san if you'd like."

Tadase nodded and followed Amu and Meridian to a different room, wishing there was something he could do to help besides just standing around. Part of him wished he had the AB blood type. But he knew it wouldn't have been possible anyways. All he could do for Amu was be there for her though it all like he'd been since they met.

Tadase laughed slightly remembering how they first met. Amu had acted all cold and mean, but ended up turning into the sweetest, cutest person Tadase could know. And their friendship had formed quickly thanks to Tadase's persistency. But the main reason Tadase actually wanted to get to know Amu was because he'd liked her the moment he seen her walk into the school the first day.

And now that he had her, he wasn't going to lose her to anything. Even if that meant sacrificing his own life. No matter what Amu said, he would protect her. He would put her life over his own any day. Just like he was sure Amu would do for him. At least he assumed so.

"Tadase?" Amu's voice snapped Tadase out of his thoughts. "_Doshitano_?"

"Huh?" Tadase looked up quickly. "Ah. Nothing Amu-chan. I guess I zoned out."

Amu blinked and tilted her head. She looked like she wanted to say something, but Meridian broke the conversation by telling them to go inside the room so Amu could get her shoulder stitched up. The couple nodded and Tadase put his arm around Amu to lead her inside.

"I'm going to assume her parents don't know about this?" Meridian said.

Tadase shook his head. "This is our battle to fight. No one else needs to get hurt."

"Would you mind explaining why Amu-san keeps coming in with different cuts every month almost?"

Tadase rubbed the back of his neck. "Ah…let's just say…it's a bullying case that's taken a bit too far. And…it's partly my fault."

"Tadase!" Amu jumped in. "It's not your fault. It's…it's mine. I didn't know. Maybe if I hadn't—"

Tadase shook his head. "Amu-chan. You don't understand. I'm _glad _I met you. If I hadn't have met you, _we _wouldn't be a thing. And I'm really, _really _happy to be with you." Amu looked down and blushed. Tadase smiled at stepped forward, taking Amu's hand and interlocking their fingers. "Don't you see? There would be none of this if we hadn't have met. I don't care if Saaya is chasing after us. As long as it's _us _and not just you or me."

"And with that, we're all done stitching you up." Meridian jumped in. "I figured it would be easier to do it with you distracted."

"A-ah…" Amu said, still flustered from Tadase's speech. "_Arigato…_"

"Also, your friend is here." Meridian added. "He's been here for a while actually."

Tadase looked over quickly to see Ikuto leaning against the wall with a smirk on his lips. Tadase blushed, realizing Ikuto had probably overheard his romantic speech and quickly let go of Amu's hand. Ikuto chuckled and walked toward them.

"Yo, Amu." Ikuto said messing up Amu's smooth, pink hair and seemingly ignoring Tadase for the mean time. "Are you okay?"

Amu fixed her hair, blushing slightly. "I—I'm fine. Thanks…"

Ikuto smiled and winked. "Anything for you."

Tadase stepped in there. "_O-oi_! Nisaan! Do you mind? She…she's mine!"

"Keep in mind she'll have some of _my _blood in her, _ochibi oji_." Ikuto said, messing Tadase's hair as well.

Amu blinked. "_A-ano_…what—what's going on?"

Tadase looked at Amu. "Ah…nothing…nothing! Right Ikuto-niisan?"

Ikuto shrugged. "Whatever. Let's just get this thing done. How does it work?"

Tadase was sitting next to Amu, who was lying on a hospital bed. She was sleeping, but the doctors said she'd be fine to leave once she woke up. Ikuto was already awake and sitting on a bed on the other side of Amu, observing Tadase and her. Tadase looked up at Ikuto.

"You really care about Amu, don't you?" Ikuto asked.

Tadase nodded. "Well…she is my girlfriend, after all…"

"Are you happy?"

"Happy? Of course I am!" Tadase said. His hand instinctively grabbed Amu's. "Amu-chan means the world to me. I would have her over anyone else."

Ikuto smiled. "Good…I'm glad you found someone you actually care about."

Tadase blinked and stared at Ikuto. "Eh…? What do you mean?"

"You didn't actually care about your ex, did you?" Ikuto inquired. "You just didn't want to be alone."

Tadase looked down at Amu. He brushed some hair out of her face and sighed. "It's true that I care more about Amu-chan than I did Saaya…but…"

"Deep inside, you were looking for the one." Ikuto finished.

Tadase nodded. "Not soon after me and Saaya broke up…I seen Amu-chan. And that's when I knew she was the one. I didn't know her when I first seen her. I only knew the rumors. But…I knew that she was the one. She was the girl in my dreams."

"And that's why you don't want to lose her, right?" Ikuto asked. "To lose her would be like losing a part of yourself."

Tadase bit his lip as he stared at Amu's sleeping form. His eyes were watering now, but he quickly wiped them. Tadase hadn't realized it, but Ikuto really did understand him. He looked back up. "I'm just…so glad she'll be okay. Thanks…thanks to you…"

"As long as she makes you happy…" Ikuto said. "I'll do anything to keep her alive for you."

"Do you…like Amu-chan?" Tadase risked asking.

"She's a cute kid." Ikuto said. "But anything I do that may seem like…advancing on her…I'm just joking, you know. She's your girlfriend. Not mine."

Tadase smiled. "You haven't changed since we were little… You're still caring, even if you prefer to hide it."

Ikuto looked away. "I care about those who I love. Whether it is platonically or other."

"Thanks again, niisan." Tadase said. "You're literally a life saver."

"Anytime, _ochibi oji_." Ikuto smiled. He glanced down at Amu. "I think she's waking up."

Tadase looked down at Amu as well. "Amu-chan?"

Amu groaned and opened her eyes. "Ta—Tadase?"

Amu sat up and looked around, not expecting to be crushed in a hug from Tadase. She winced slightly, but smiled and hugged back, even though she wasn't sure why Tadase was hugging her. Tadase hugged her tighter and whispered. "Amu-chan…I'm so happy I have you…"

"Tadase…" Amu mumbled. "I—I'm happy too… But…you're crushing me. And my arm…"

Tadase let go immediately. "Sorry. Sorry. I didn't mean to…"

Amu laughed. "It's fine. I was just warning you." She looked over at Ikuto. "Are you okay?"

Ikuto nodded. "I'm fine. A little less blood in me than before, but hey, I have a lot of blood, and you needed it…so…"

"Thanks…" Amu mumbled, looking down. "I don't know what would've happened if neither Tadase nor I knew an AB blood type…I might have been…you know..." her voice went quiet as she finished her sentence. "…d-dead…"

"Amu-chan!" Tadase gripped her uninjured arm.

"Tadase…" Amu looked at him and gently removed his hand from her arm and held it in both of her hands. "You know I'm right… If it weren't for Ikuto…"

Tadase looked down. "Y-yeah…but…"

"Should I uh…leave?" Ikuto offered. "You guys seem to need some time alone." He smirked and winked. "I'll be in the lobby if you need me still."

Amu and Tadase looked from the leaving Ikuto to each other. They laughed slightly, and then Amu blushed slightly. Tadase smiled and squeezed Amu's hand. He pecked Amu's forehead and stared at her for a while.

"Amu-chan…" he said. "I—I don't want you ever to think of dying. Not until we're old. I won't let you die now. You're too young. And I don't know what I'd do without you… I know I've said that a lot. But I really do mean it."

Amu face turned pinker. Tadase chuckled and leaned closer to Amu, placing his hand on top of hers. "Can I…?"

Amu managed a slow, hesitant nod, knowing what Tadase had meant. Tadase leaned closer and captured Amu's soft lips in his. Amu froze slightly, half relishing the moment, half embarrassed. Then she slowly kissed back. Tadase pulled back a while later and rested his forehead against Amu's.

"I love you, Amu-chan." He whispered, pecking Amu's nose.

"I—I love you too." Amu responded.

Tadase smiled and hugged her gently. Amu hugged back. The blond pulled away and brushed some hair behind Amu's ear, then pecked her lips once more. "I'm glad I have you, Amu-chan."

Amu smiled. "Let's get out of here before people start wondering."

* * *

**A/N: I'll be honest, I didn't PLAN on making Ikuto help save Amu again. But I did my research...and Ikuto was the only one with the AB blood type. Everyone else was only B or A. There wasn't even another O (the SC! Wiki said that in the manga Amu's bloodtype is O). Even Tadase has B blood type. So yeah. Anyways, translations. **

**Ochibi: I think it means shorty.**

**Oji: Prince (So Ikuto called Tadase Prince Shorty/Shorty Prince)**

**Nisaan (even though I forgot to italicize it): Older brother.**

**Doshitano: What's the matter**

**Arigtao: Thank you**

**Oi: Hey! **

**Ano: I think this means Uh/um. (I could be wrong...)**

**That's it I think. I hope you enjoyed this. I think I was watching too much UtaPri writing this. Too much romance (mainly from Ren because to me he's a pedo). This isn't the end by the way. xD I still have more surprises. **


	6. Chapter 6

**A/N: Hey look I finished a thing. This is...I don't know what to call this chapter. The rainbow after a storm? Sure. Let's go with that as a metaphor for this chapter. I just thought you guys needed a cute cool down from all the semi-intenseness from the previous chapters. And yeah. If I were naming the chapters in this, I would probably name it deja vu. You'll understand why after reading this. xD **

**Anyways. I don't own Shugo Chara! nor its characters. I only own the nurses (and Niki and Eva, but since they're not in this chapter I didn't really think I needed to mention them. Even though I just did anyways...). Enjoy~**

* * *

**-Chapter Six-**

The couple met Ikuto in the lobby with the two nurses, who giggled silently to themselves after noticing Tadase and Amu holding hands. Ikuto just smirked, leaning against the wall casually, eyeing Amu and Tadase with a hint of amusement. Amu looked slightly confused, but Tadase just sighed.

"How do we pay for all this?" he asked, ignoring the look Ikuto was giving him.

"Oh, your friend, Ikuto-kun took care of it." Meridian said.

Amu looked at Ikuto, who smiled and winked in return. Despite what Ikuto had told him before, Tadase still couldn't help but get mad and a little bit jealous. Still, Ikuto paid for them, which was really nice, so there wasn't much Tadase could stay mad about. He walked up to Ikuto looked at him.

"Thanks, Ikuto-niisan." He said. "You're really a good step brother."

"If you can even call me that." Ikuto replied, smirking. He messed Tadase's hair. "Anytime, Kiddy King. Well, I'll take my leave now. _Ja-ne_."

With that, the blue haired man turned and walked away. Amu and Tadase looked over at the two nurses, who were still smiling pleasantly. Amu bowed quickly.

"Thanks again." Amu said. "You've done a lot for us."

Meridian giggled. "Any time, dear. And you still have my number right? Don't be afraid to call me for anything."

Amu nodded. "Okay." She looked back at Tadase. "Should we leave?"

Tadase nodded. "Yeah. But…do you think it's safe to walk? My house is pretty far from here…"

"Why don't I drive you?" Meridian offered. "Kanko-chan can take care of things here, right?"

"Of course." Kanko replied.

Meridian had been nice enough to wait until Amu and Tadase got inside the house to drive off. Which was helpful because if there was someone watching, no one could do anything. Amu waved at Meridian from the front door and Meridian smiled back. Then she drove off and Amu closed the door.

"How are you feeling?" Tadase asked. "Do you want to go to sleep?"

Amu thought for a second. "Mm…I _am _a little bit tired… but that might be because of the drugs in my system." She laughed slightly.

Half of Tadase's mouth curled up into a smile, but fell quickly after. "Okay. I probably shouldn't be saying this…but it's probably safer if you slept on the floor. It's not that I don't want to share a bed with you. I'm just afraid I'll hurt your arm."

Amu nodded. "Of course."

"I'll get everything ready for you." Tadase said, leaning over to kiss Amu's cheek before he started to move. He quickly added, "You can change while you're at it, if you'd like."

Amu nodded again, smiling slightly. "I'll be right back then."

Tadase smiled back and Amu disappeared into the bathroom with her bag of essentials. She closed the door and started to change. After taking off her shirt, she examined her arm in the mirror. The cut on her shoulder, while it was all stitched up and everything, looked pretty ugly; dry blood staining her skin, the stitches itself. Not pleasant at all. She couldn't wear much strapless shirts for a while, definitely. Though it didn't really matter much to her since she mainly wore t-shirts or long sleeve shirts or jackets.

She pulled on her pajama top carefully. It hurt to move her arm, but she was too embarrassed to get Tadase to help her, so she stayed quiet and bared the pain until she was in her pajamas. Then she pulled her hair out of her ponytail, brushed her hair quickly and left the bathroom. She yawned and walked into Tadase's bedroom.

Tadase had barely gotten his own pajama shirt buttoned up, but thankfully for him, Amu took no notice to him or his have bare chest. Tadase quickly turned around awkwardly and buttoned his shirt up then turned back and smiled pleasantly at Amu. Amu looked at him and smiled back. She sat on Tadase's bed for the mean time.

"How's your arm?" he asked, approaching her and touching her upper arm gently.

"Alright." Amu said. "It still kind of hurts…especially when I move it too much."

Tadase frowned. "Are you sure you'll be able to sleep on it? Do you want some painkillers? Or numbing spray? ...Though I don't have numbing spray."

Amu smiled and shook her head. "_Daijoubu._ Honestly."

Tadase eyed Amu carefully. "Well…if you say so. Now come on, it's late. Let's go to bed."

Amu nodded and got off Tadase's bed. Tadase smiled and kissed Amu's forehead. He brushed some hair behind her ear and quickly pecked her lips as well. Amu's face reddened slightly, but she managed a smile. She sat down on the makeshift bed on Tadase's floor.

"Are you sure you're okay with sleeping on the floor, Amu-chan?" Tadase asked, crouching down to meet her eyes.

Amu nodded. "I don't mind."

Tadase sighed. "Okay. Well, good night, Amu-chan."

Amu smiled as she got under the blankets carefully. "Night, Tadase."

Tadase got on his bed and rolled onto his side to look at Amu. "Wake me if you need anything, okay?"

Amu nodded again. "I will."

With that, both teenagers settled into their beds and tried to sleep. But, like always seemingly, Amu ended up having a nightmare. Amu considered it had to do with being at Tadase's house, but quickly shook the thought out of her head. She was probably just having some sort of post-traumatic stress. Regardless, the dream wasn't pleasant.

_Amu was alone in the rain. She didn't have an umbrella or a jacket or anything, and she was running. She could have been running to get out of the rain, or possibly running from something. Thunder clapped and lightning struck, causing Amu to freeze and cover her ears in shock and fear. She quickly recovered though and starting running again._

_As the thunder and lightning increased, so did the eerie atmosphere and Amu began to feel a little dizzy. She collapsed in the middle of the street as rain poured on her, making her dead cold. Anyone who would have passed by probably would have thought she actually _was _dead. But no one would be quick enough on the draw to find her because she was lifted up by an anonymous person and thrown on the person's back._

_When Amu woke up, she was still lying down. But when she tried to sit up or move her arms, she couldn't get them very far. Cold, dark metal cuffs strapped her arms to a bed, as well as a strap holding her down on the chest. Her eyes widened in fear as she noticed various scary looking tools at a table next to her. She could almost feel her own blood dripping down her, even though nothing had touched her yet. _

_The only thing she knew was that she had to find a way out. But no matter how hard she struggled, the cuffs only got tighter and her fear only got worse. There was a maniacal laugh somewhere off to her left and the sound of something turning on. A saw maybe. That's when she screamed and thrashed around, as if that would save her from getting a limb sawed off. She closed her eyes tightly. _

_Then, she heard someone calling her name. A familiar voice, yet it sounded distant. As if it wasn't actually near her and it was only in her head. Or maybe it was an angel. Amu didn't want to open her eyes though. She was afraid. But the voice kept calling her._

"_Amu-chan! Amu-chan, open your eyes!"_

"Amu-chan!" Tadase's voice was calling. "Amu-chan, you're having a nightmare. Wake up!"

Amu woke up with a start and looked around with wide eyes. She looked at Tadase. "T…Tadase…"

Tadase sighed in relief. "Good. You woke up."

Amu clung to Tadase tightly, almost ready to cry. Tadase held her against him, trying to calm her down. When Amu was calm, she looked up at Tadase, who gently kissed her forehead.

"Are you okay?" he asked.

Amu bit her lip, nodding slowly. "I…I'm fine…"

Tadase stood up and offered his hand to Amu. Amu looked up, confused at first. Then she understood and smiled meekly, taking Tadase's hand and getting pulled onto her feet. Amu got onto Tadase's bed and resumed her sleeping as Tadase slid next to her and wrapped an arm around her, careful not to touch her shoulder.

_This is like déjà vu…_ Tadase thought with an amused smile as he watched Amu, who was already sleeping peacefully. He carefully and gently kissed her, then went back to sleep as well.

* * *

**A/N: Well, that was cute, wasn't? Anyways, translation time.**

**Ja-ne: See you**

**Daijoubu: I'm okay/it's okay.**

**That's it I think lol. Not much else to say. I hope you enjoyed this. I'll get the next chapter up whenever I get inspiration. ^^**


	7. Chapter 7

**A/N: Oh, look; another chapter. I didn't know where I was going with this chapter at first. But I decided to bring back the student council team for a bit. So I guess you can say this chapter is about trust and friends and...stuff. yeah. It's probably boring. And I apologize before hand. But I hope you enjoy still. **

**I don't own Shugo Chara! Only Niki...and yeah. The other characters belong to Peach Pit. **

* * *

**-Chapter Seven-**

When Tadase woke up, he looked at Amu and couldn't help but smile. But when he looked at the clock, he remembered he had planned a Student Council meeting with the others. Amu was part of it now, right? Either way, he didn't trust Amu being at his house alone with what was going on. So he got dressed and woke her up carefully.

"Amu-chan." He called softly. "You need to wake up. We have a student council meeting."

Amu mumbled something in her sleep, causing Tadase to chuckle slightly. But eventually, she did open her eyes and sit up. She rubbed the sleep out of her eyes and looked at Tadase with a half asleep expression.

"Meeting…?" she asked groggily. "But there's no school today…"

"That's why I planned it. So we can cover more things." Tadase replied. "Such as…your situation…"

"A-ah…" Amu said.

Tadase nodded. "Now go get changed. I'll make some quick breakfast for us."

"Okay…" Amu got off the bed and grabbed a change of clothing from her bag.

As Amu made her way to the bathroom, Tadase made his way to the kitchen to make something quick for them to eat. Amu closed and locked the bathroom door, and then dropped her clothing on the floor. She looked in the mirror and sighed. The further Saaya took this, the worse Amu ended up looking. Maybe that was her plan all along though.

Amu shook her head quickly. Why would Saaya do something as low as trying to make Amu look bad or ugly? She probably still thought Amu was an 'ugly little shit' anyways. She sighed again and ran her brush through her hair.

"Amu-chan?" Tadase's voice called. "Are you almost done? We're going to be late if you don't hurry…"

"Sorry, Tadase." Amu said. "I'll be out in a minute."

Amu quickly changed into some casual clothing, careful not to move her injured shoulder too much, then unlocked the door and left the bathroom. She tossed her pajamas back in her bag and met Tadase in the kitchen.

"Sorry I took so long…" Amu mumbled.

Tadase turned around and smiled. "Don't worry about it. Here's some toast. It's not much. But it's all I had time to make."

Amu shook her head. "Trust me; I'm used to eating toast for breakfast."

"Are you implying you're always late?" Tadase asked with an amused smile.

"T-that's not what I meant!" Amu stammered.

Tadase chuckled. "You're lying. I can tell."

Amu pouted. "Come on, I—I'm not _always _late."

"Whatever you say." Tadase said. "Anyways. Take you're toast and let's go."

Amu picked up a piece of toast from the plate Tadase had offered and put it in her mouth. Truth be told, she did that almost every single day at her old school. She tried not to be as late now, but she did love her sleep. So it happened every so often.

They arrived at the school, and everyone was already there, waiting impatiently. Tadase bowed in apology and took his seat, Amu following suit. She gave Niki a wave from across the table, but when she put her arm down, her shoulder accidentally brushed against Nagihiko. Her injured shoulder. She winced in pain.

"Amu-chan?" Nagihiko must have noticed her wince. "What's wrong?"

"Ah? Uh…nothing." Amu stammered. "I'm fine."

Tadase gave Amu a worried glance, but Amu shook it away. Tadase tilted his head, but let it go. "Anyways. Let's start this off by talking about Yamabuki Saaya."

"Your ex?" Rima inquired. "Why are we talking about her?"

Amu looked down. "It has to do with…me as well."

"Amu-chan?" Ran looked over at Amu. "What would Tadase's ex have to do with you, too?"

Amu licked her lips nervously. "U-uhm…"

"It's a long story." Tadase said. "Amu-chan; why don't you start from the top?"

"M-me…?" Amu pointed to herself questioningly.

Tadase's hand grabbed Amu's gently under the table. "It's okay. You're with friends. You don't need to be nervous."

Amu nodded. "W-well…Saaya…doesn't seem to like me…so…she started—" Amu bit her lip. "She started hating on me and threatening me…"

"Why though?" Nagihiko asked.

"At first…it was because I befriended Tadase." Amu explained. "But…now…I think I know why she's doing all this stuff…"

Tadase looked at Amu. "Amu-chan?"

"She probably still thinks that she owns Tadase." Amu said. "Even though she really never did. And she blames me for taking him away from her. Thus, she wants to get rid of me, or make Tadase leave me…by making me look as bad as possible."

Tadase stared at Amu in surprise. What could have caused her to come to such a conclusion? "A—Amu-chan…are you sure that's what she's doing?"

"That or she just wants me gone so she can take you back." Amu added. "Which might explain why she keeps sending people after me."

Tadase sighed. "In the end, you're still saying it's your fault, aren't you?"

Amu shrugged. "Who else's fault could it be? I'm the one who let you talk to me. I'm the one who got Saaya infuriated and jealous."

"Wait…" Ran jumped in. "I'm confused. What do you mean sending people after you?"

Amu closed her eyes momentarily to think. "Saaya's attacked me, or has had people try to attack me. Multiple times. She seems to have eyes on me at all times. At least that's what it feels like." She looked at Tadase. "Should I…?" she moved her injured shoulder, asking Tadase if she should show them yesterday's cut.

"If you think it's okay." Tadase said, squeezing Amu's hand.

"Yesterday…I was going to Tadase's house." Amu said. "And the moment Mama's car left…someone dug a knife in my shoulder…"

She changed the story a bit to keep Rima and Niki from being the little nosy people they were. And also for Tadase's reputation. Because who knows what the others would think if Amu said she was staying with Tadase for a few days.

Everyone's eyes were on Amu now, shocked. "Are you…are you okay?" Rima asked.

Amu nodded. "I lost a lot of blood. But Tadase managed to find someone with the same blood type as me."

"Amu-chan wants to prove it to you that she's been hurt." Tadase said. "So…if you don't want to see Amu-chan's cut, then…don't look. It's all stitched up though, so it's not as bad as you'd think."

Tadase touched Amu's arm and she took off her cardigan carefully. She winced slightly as her shirt sleeve brushed against the stitched cut when she tried to decide how to show it (as well as whether she wanted to). Eventually, she just ended up sliding the shirt down slightly, revealing the perfectly stitched (yet still a bit bloody—Amu really needed to remember to clean it later) cut. It looked just like any of the other cuts on her body—a little red from the blood welling up that was being suppressed, and slightly visible stitches.

Suu looked away slightly. Rima winced as if she could feel the pain herself. Nagihiko looked a little bit pitiful and worried. Niki also looked worried for her friend. Everyone else was still in shock. Miki looked like she wanted to feel it, though, which made Amu feel a little bit uncomfortable, seeing as it hurt whenever she moved it too much, or if it came into contact with something/someone. She quickly hid it again.

"Tadase's…also got hurt thanks to me…" Amu said.

"It was better me than you…" Tadase mumbled. "I'm fine now anyways. That was two weeks ago."

"So you're saying Yamabuki Saaya is trying to murder Amu for 'stealing' Tadase from her?" Rima gathered.

"If you want to put it that way…" Amu said.

"Not at all!" Tadase had said at the exact same time.

"I'm getting mixed messages here." Rima said. "Either Amu's just putting all the weight on her shoulders, or Tadase's trying to convince himself that this is all just something that can be settled with a conversation, when seemingly, it's already been going on for two or three weeks."

Amu looked down awkwardly. Rima was exactly right with what she said. No matter what, Amu still blamed herself for all of this. Part of her even regretted letting her old side appear with Tadase. If she hadn't have let her guard down, she would've still been cold and distant towards Tadase.

_But if you'd done that, you wouldn't be dating Tadase now, would you?_ A voice told her.

Amu made a sidelong glance at Tadase. The voice was right. Despite all this, she was happy with Tadase. She didn't think Tadase would like someone like her, but in the end… She smiled slightly. Then she realized she should probably say something and quickly shook herself from her thoughts.

"U-uh…" she stammered dumbly. _Smooth_. "Well, all I was really saying is she needs to stop. Or she at least needs to chill out and get over Tadase."

"You don't seem that stressed about this, Amu-chan." Nagihiko noted. "You really are a strong girl."

Amu blushed at the compliment. "Not…really…"

"You're doing better than what I would do." Ran piped up. "I'd be crying all day and complaining."

"You do that anyways." Miki said, earning an elbow in the arm from Ran.

Tadase smiled slightly at the siblings, and then glanced at Amu. He knew for a fact that despite how Amu was acting, if it weren't for her friends being around, she'd be stressing. The frequent nightmares already said enough about how she was actually feeling. Yet when it came to talking about it, she was perfectly fine about it. The confrontation with Saaya two weeks ago said a lot in itself; Amu had only hesitated once when Saaya offered that 'bargain'. And then after that, her confidence was through the roof. Amu really was something…

"Well, now that we're done talking about this, anyone have anything to say?" Tadase asked.

"Where's Saaya and when can I strangle her?" Niki asked, saying something for the first time that day.

"I'd love to answer both of those questions, but…I don't really know where she is." Tadase responded. "And I don't know when or even _if_ you'll have the opportunity to strangle her, either."

Amu laughed. "Tadase, I think she was joking."

"Partly." Niki said.

"Anything to say _not _related to Saaya or Amu-chan?" Tadase asked.

"Kids are complaining about lunch being too short." Nagi said.

And the meeting continued as it normally would; discussing ways to make school better and more fun for the students, and going over problems. Amu felt a little bit better after getting all of the stuff about Saaya off her chest. She was glad to have people to talk to.

She thought about her old friends and sighed inwardly. Should she tell them? Surely they'd ask her to come back after hearing what was happening. Though it would probably be safer there. But then what? Going back to her old school would be giving up, and she didn't want to give up. She wanted to teach Saaya a lesson.

"Amu-chan!" Tadase's voice shook her out of her thoughts.

"Huh?" Amu looked over. "Sorry, what?"

Tadase chuckled. "The meeting ended a couple minutes ago. What were you thinking about?"

"Just…things." Amu said.

She looked around. Most of the members of the council had left except for Niki, and for some reason, Rima. Maybe Rima was curious about Amu still. Or maybe she was just sticking around because Niki was. Amu was surprised Rima didn't dislike her because she stole Niki away from her. Even if they claim not to be that close of friends.

"About Saaya?" Rima inquired.

Amu shook her head. "No. Not really. Why would I think about her at a time where she's not bothering me for once?"

"Good point." Rima mumbled.

"Is there something bothering you, Amu-chan?" Tadase asked.

Amu shook her head. "But…there is somewhere I want to go…"

"Where?" Tadase asked. "I'll take you there if you need."

"I want to go to my old school." Amu said. "See if I can find any of my old friends around there."

"Oh, can I come?" Niki asked. "I want to meet your old friends, too!"

"I'm curious." Rima said simply, not elaborating on what she was curious about or why.

"Then shall we all go?" Tadase asked. "I think my father is inside the school still. He might be able to drive us."

"Really?" Amu hadn't expected that Tadase would let her find her old friends.

Tadase nodded. He leaned over to whisper into Amu's ear. "It'll give us a reason to stay away from Saaya and whoever she's sending out."

"Let's go then!" Niki said excitedly, grabbing both Rima and Amu's arms.

Tadase chuckled and followed the girls into the school to find his father. To be honest, he felt that Amu would be safer at her old place. But there would be no reason for her to go back, nor did Tadase think she wanted to go back. At least there'd be a break from the violence, though.

* * *

**A/N: No Japanese in this one. But yaay we get to meet Amu's old friends! (Aka Nade, Yaya, Kukai, and Kairi). I tried to split it so that it would be four and four (including my OC). The four friends Amu meet at her new school are, just in case you've forgotten since I haven't really talked about Amu's friends in general for a while; Niki, Rima, Nagi, and Lulu (who I'll try and work in somehow too, soon). Also Tadase isn't included anymore because they're not _friends _anymore, rather, they're closer than that. xD**

**Anyways, I hope you enjoyed this and I'll see you all next time I decide to post a new chapter! **


	8. Chapter 8

**A/N: I apologize in advance for this long long chapter. I wasn't sure where to cut it off...so yeah. Somehow it became 2k words because of this.**

**Also, I apologize for this being so late. I'm working on to fanfics at the same time (one kpop related, and this one) in a pattern. But I also have been working on a MONSTER of a oneshot for a request on deviantART (its literally 10k words atm. And it'll be longer because I seriously haven't even gotten started yet. **

**Oh, I was wondering something-on Love vs Jealousy, I replied to my reviews through this A/N so that I could communicate with you guys...not through PMs. Did you guys like that? If so, would you guys like me to bring that back? Or would you rather me just acknowledge you readers by thanking you if you reviewed?**

**Anyways, I hope you enjoy this, and I don't own Shugo Chara! Only Niki...and Amu's old school (which has no name atm because I'm so not creative, and I...think I made Seiyo the one she switched to. Or something.)**

* * *

**-Chapter Eight-**

The ride was moderately quiet. Until everyone started complaining in some way, 15 minutes into the drive. Well, everyone besides Amu, who was asleep, and Tadase, who was too busy trying to watch Amu from the front seat worriedly. So essentially, it was Niki complaining the most. Luckily, Tsukasa was used to loud kids, so he withstood it for a while until they stopped at a traffic light. He looked at the girls in the backseat through the rearview mirror.

"Alright, kids." He said. "We're going to stop at a convenience store. That way you can _all _get what or do what you want and stop whining the rest of the way. Capeesh?"

Niki and Rima nodded. And Amu…still slept, despite her head constantly hitting the window whenever Tsukasa went over a bump (which was what was worrying Tadase). Either Amu was used to it, or she was so deep in her sleep she couldn't feel anything.

Anyways, after another 5-10 minute drive, they spotted a gas station/convenience store and stopped there for a short time. Niki jumped out of the car and was about to make a run for the convenience store to raid it probably until Rima grabbed her arm and dragged her back. Obviously they were going to wait for Amu to get up and out too.

Niki went around the car to observe as Tadase tried to wake Amu up without making her fall out of the car or hurt herself any more than she already was. Alas, it was obvious Amu wouldn't wake up any time soon. Tadase looked up at Rima, Niki, and his father.

"Why don't you guys go inside?" he suggested. "I'll stay out here with Amu. Niki-chan, I'll trust you to getting something for her to eat and drink that she likes."

"Yes sir!" Niki said, saluting for no reason.

"Are you sure you two will be fine out here, Tadase?" Tsukasa asked concernedly.

Tadase nodded. "I'll take care of Amu if I need to. But I'm sure everything will be fine. You can trust me, _otosan_."

"Since you're my son, I kind of have to trust you, don't I?" Tsukasa chuckled slightly. "And I'm sure you'll protect Amu-chan with your life if anything happened. We'll be back then."

Tadase nodded and quietly closed the door Amu had been leaning against. The others left and Tadase went around the other side to sit next to Amu and be her pillow if needed. He was also sure to lock the doors. Just in case.

After all the things Amu's been through, it must be nice to be at ease. She didn't seem to be showing and visible signs of a nightmare, either, so that was good. Right now, all Tadase could do is just stay with her. Because he was sure if he left her alone, Amu would be attacked much more than she was already. Maybe even close to death.

Tadase reached over to caress Amu's hair gently with his hand. For some reason, Tadase always thought Amu's hair smelled light strawberries. Maybe it was just his brain's ultimate reaction to her hair color. Or maybe Amu used strawberry shampoo. Either way, he liked it. Then again, there was nothing Tadase _didn't _like about Amu.

At some point, Amu's head ended up resting against Tadase's shoulder. And before you say anything; no, Tadase didn't touch her in any way to cause her to do that. It just happened. But it wasn't like Tadase didn't like it. He would've done it himself if Amu's head hadn't rolled and landed on his shoulder conveniently right when he considered it.

Finally, the others came back toting one bag each. Tsukasa gave the bag he was holding to Tadase for him and Amu, and then got into the car. Niki claimed 'shotgun', leaving Rima to sit in the back with Tadase and Amu. Which she seemed unsure about, but got in anyways. She gave Tadase a weird look.

"You two better not do anything that will make me regret coming." She said.

Tadase laughed. "I'm pretty sure Amu-chan will be asleep until someone wakes her up. Not much I can do."

"I'm watching you…" Rima muttered in the creepiest way possible.

"Rima, stop being a creeper." Niki called from the front. "Let Amu-chan and Tadase be lovey-dovey if they want to."

"I just don't want to be scarred for life." Rima mumbled.

"Suuuree, Rima." Niki said. "Says the one who will do anything to have some kind of blackmail for everyone just in case."

"Shut up." Rima crossed her arms and pouted.

Tadase laughed. "I still don't understand your relationship with Niki-chan, Rima-chan…"

Rima didn't say anything and just looked out the window as Tsukasa started to move. Tadase chuckled again and focused his attention back at Amu. For some reason, he was excited about meeting Amu's friends. Maybe it was Amu's vibes getting to him. Or maybe he was just really curious. Possibly even both. Either way, he was sure they'd be surprised she had a boyfriend, and would love to see the reaction.

After another while of driving, Tsukasa finally stopped at a school. Possibly Amu's old school. Although it seemed pretty vacant at the moment. And Amu didn't seem to be waking up anytime soon to comment. Tsukasa turned back to look at Tadase and Amu.

"Tadase, you don't happen to know if Amu-chan on her phone on her, do you?" he asked.

Tadase shrugged as carefully could with a sleeping beauty pink haired young lady on his shoulder. "She probably does. But I don't know where it is."

"Niki-chan, do you know?" Tsukasa asked, looking over at the dark haired young lady in the seat next to him.

"It might be in her…uh…" Niki trailed off. "The thing under her…shirt…thing. That holds up her…bosom…thing."

Rima scoffed. "What? You can't say bra? Are you that stupid?"

"Shut up, Rima." Niki grumbled. I didn't want to make Tadase uncomfortable."

"You definitely made him even more uncomfortable." Rima said.

"How am I supposed to get Amu's phone from her bra?" Tadase asked rhetorically. "I may be her boyfriend, but we've only been together for a little over a week. There's a right time and place for any of this."

Niki sighed. "Alright. I'll do it. I _am _her best friend after all. I'm sure she'll forgive me if she figures it out."

Niki somehow managed to squeeze between the two seats and reached forward to try and grab Amu's phone from her shirt. Tadase looked away in respect of Amu's privacy and such, as did Tsukasa, seeing as it would be even worse if_ he _seen. Miraculously, Niki was right and after a second, pulled Amu's phone out from her shirt.

"Ta-da!" she said. "Now, I hope Amu-chan doesn't kill me for doing that. But in retrospect, it wasn't like I wanted to do it. I was merely helping Tsukasa-san."

"I'm sure she'll understand." Tsukasa took the phone from Niki, who had it unlocked already, and looked on it for anything that might help him figure out where he could go to get Amu to meet her friends.

"Wait." Niki said. "Let me see her phone again. I have an idea."

Tsukasa gave the phone back to Niki, who tried to find any unfamiliar name to group text a message to them all. But then she thought—what would she say? Sure, she understood Amu's texting style fairly well, but she didn't know if she had any…specific nicknames for them all. She sighed and started the text anyways.

'You: _Hey guys! It's Amu. I'm in the area. Want to meet up?_'

The first response was almost immediate. By someone named Yuiki Yaya. Somehow, Niki could sense that if she had typed that in English (if she even knew how to type in English), it would be in all caps. Niki also figured that if it were a voice message, she'd be deaf right now.

'Yaya: _AMU-CHIII. WHERE ARE YOUUU?! I'VE MISSED YOU!_'

The next response was from someone else. The name said Souma Kukai. Niki assumed it was a guy, judging by the way he responded.

'Kukai: _Sheesh Yaya, calm down. Although she does have a point; we've all missed you, Hinamori. It's been how long?_'

Niki didn't know that answer. But luckily, she didn't need to say anything because someone else said something instead. Fujisaki Nadeshiko. Why did that name sound familiar to Niki? Especially the 'Fujisaki'.

'Nadesiko: _6 months. It's been 6 months since Amu-chan left._'

Finally, Niki decided she should say something. There were probably more people that hadn't responded, but Niki didn't want to wait anymore. And they were probably thinking it was weird that 'Amu' hadn't said anything yet.

'You: _Yeah. It's been a while, hasn't it? Why don't we meet at the school? I'm already here anyways._'

"How's it going?" Tadase asked curiously, breaking the silence that was happening while Niki studied the phone and tried to set things up.

"Her friends are replying. And I just told them to meet her at the school." Niki explained. "Should I tell them that 'I' have friends with me as well?"

"That would probably be best." Tadase said. "If they came and seen other people besides Amu-chan, they might be confused."

Niki looked back at the phone. There were more responses. Including one from someone new.

'Nadeshiko: _The school? Sure, I can make it. I don't know about the others._'

'Yaya: _NADE! DON'T THINK I WON'T BE THERE TOO!_'

'Kukai: _Yaya, stop that. We're all going. Well, maybe besides Kairi. He hasn't said anything._'

The new person seemed to be named Sanjou Kairi, who responded right after the Kukai dude mentioned his name.

'Kairi: _My apologies. I was busy with school work. I didn't notice I was in a conversation with you all. But forgive me for asking, but what exactly are we conversing about?_'

'Yaya: _Amu-chi is back in town! Right, Amu-chi?!_'

Niki thought of a way to reply. This Kairi guy seemed very intelligent. He might be able to figure out it's not really Amu if Niki replied. Before she could reply, Kairi replied again.

'Kairi: _Amu-san is in town? Really? Where is she?_'

Niki quickly responded with '_I'm at our old school_', hoping the smart dude didn't think to critically because maybe he knew Amu well and all that. Niki didn't know about Amu's previous friends nor how much they texted.

There were some sounds in the back seat, causing Niki to look back. Amu was slowly trying to wake up. She opened her eyes and looked around groggily. She moved her arms to rub the sleepiness out of her eyes and sat up straight, not correctly processing that Tadase's shoulder was her pillow.

"Wha—why are we stopping?" she asked slowly. She looked out the window. "Oh…we're at my old school…"

"I'm trying to get in touch with your old friends." Niki said. "Do you want your phone back?"

"How did—" Amu looked at her friend and stopped mid-sentence. "Never mind. I'm not even going to ask. Just give me my phone back."

Niki complied and passed Amu's phone back to her. Amu took it and looked at it. It still amazed Amu that Niki could easily pretend to be her through texts without anyone realizing it wasn't _actually _her. But she tried to carry the conversation from where Niki stopped.

After more reading, silence, and replying to messages, Amu managed to get everyone to go to the school. She also told them she'd brought some of her new friends, which Yaya was overly happy about (as always), Nade was happy for Amu that she'd made friends, and Kukai…still acted like Amu was his sister and teased her somehow. Kairi was just his usual, confusingly intelligent self.

"Alright." She said. "They all know about you guys."

"Should we meet them then?" Tadase asked. "I don't think they'd notice us if we stayed in _otosan_'s car."

Amu nodded. "Let's stop by the playground. That's where I said I'd be waiting."

The quartet got out of the car and Tsukasa drove off to find a better parking space. Then, they followed Amu's lead towards the school. Amu explained a few things on the way there, like how old her friends were, how long she'd known them, and some memories in certain parts of the schoolyard she had with them.

"That sounds like fun…" Niki said in a whiney voice. "I wish we did that together…"

Amu rolled her eyes. "Need I remind you that you're my best friend at _our _school? A person can have more than one best friend, right?"

"Fine, fine…" Niki mumbled.

Rima seemed like she wanted to say something, but kept quiet. It was hard to tell what she was thinking sometimes. Amu didn't know if Rima even _liked _her or not, half the time. Nor did she even know why the petite blonde wanted to come in the first place. Maybe she knew something about Amu's old friends that she wanted to use as blackmail or something.

Amu stopped at the playground and told her friends to do whatever they wanted until they came. She settled for swinging on the swings sets, to which Tadase joined her in. They swung in a comfortable silence for a while, at some pointing ending up 'double dating' (swinging at the same tempo, making the couple swing simultaneously). Finally, Tadase decided to break the silence.

"Do you plan on telling your old friends about me?" he asked. "As in—telling them we're dating?"

Amu shrugged. "I don't actually know. I mean, it would seem like the obvious thing to say…but they might find it weird that I've only been at the school for a month or two and I already have a boyfriend."

"How so?" Tadase questioned curiously. "Did the boys at your school not pay attention to you?"

"Besides Kukai and Kairi, most of the guys at this school would ignore me." Amu explained. "They probably all thought I looked weird or something because…you know…" Amu took one of her hands off the chain of the swing to gesture to her head, "My hair."

Tadase frowned. "I think your hair is pretty. Whoever doesn't like it can…" Tadase trailed off awkwardly, too nice to think of something rude to say, even if he did want to say something.

Amu laughed. "It's okay Tadase. It's not like they made fun of me or anything. Kukai would've beaten them up if they did."

"Well, at least you had friends to protect you here, too." Tadase smiled slightly.

Amu nodded, then looked over the hill and stopped swinging. Tadase stopped and looked too. A group of 4 people were walking up the hill, looking around a bit. Amu noticed Rima and Niki had also spotted the people and stopped what they were doing.

As they got closer, Amu could easily tell who was who, just from the hair, since most of them also had…odd hair colors like her. They were her old friends, whom she hadn't seen in six months. And she was so tempted to jump off the swing and run to them. But she decided to wait for them to come to her instead.

Yaya must have spotted her first because after a couple seconds, a loud shout could be heard and the ginger with the twin tails came bounding down the hill with the other three tailing behind, trying to catch up. Amu could still hear Yaya shouting and laughed.

"_AMU-CHIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIII!_" was all you could hear in the school grounds, echoing off the buildings.

Amu got off the swing she was on and started walking towards her old friends, her new friends following her not far behind. When Yaya was close enough to Amu, the ginger threw herself at Amu. Lucky, Tadase was behind Amu and kept the two old friends from falling and landing on the gravel. Yaya squeezed Amu tightly as the pink haired teenager struggled to not yell out in pain because of her shoulder. Tadase watched from behind worriedly until Yaya finally pulled away and looked at Amu with a huge grin.

"Amu-chi, we missed you _soooooo_ much!" she said, not noticing Amu's arm move to rub her shoulder.

The other three came up behind Yaya not soon after and all gave Amu cheesy grins. Amu beamed right back at them, eventually making her way up to hug them all (but especially Nadeshiko). Amu's current friends watched in amusement and curiosity at the new faces, which was probably what Amu's old friends were doing as well. This was going to be a good day, Amu decided.

* * *

**A/N: Yay we finally meet Amu's old friends! Well not fully. But they've been introduced. I hope I got their personalities right...it's been a while since I've watched the anime. xD**

**I think I only used one or two Japanese words in this.**

**Otosan: Father**

**And...I think that's it. **

**Sorry if you liked all the Japanese I used. I just feel like sometimes it's annoying to have random Japanese words that you may or may not know how to pronounce and stuff. But if you guys like the Japanese enough, I'll try to bring it back in full force (aka use a Japanese word/phrase if I happen to know the Japanese form for what I going to write in English). **

**I hope you enjoyed! Feel free to review and all that. Until next time~ Ja-ne. ^^**


	9. Chapter 9

**A/N: Hello yes. I finally finished this monster of a chapter. Which, yes, I apologize that it's so long. I didn't know how to end it. So yeah, this massive thing came out. School started. And I'm working on some other things. So I apologize again if my updates become less frequent. **

**Enjoy this chapter though~ Feel free to Review and all that, too! It makes me happy. ^^**

* * *

**-Chapter Nine-**

The group of Amu's old friends looked at her new friends awkwardly. Tadase bowed respectfully, but didn't say anything. He looked at Amu expectantly, as if waiting for her to do something before speaking. Until that happened, Tadase surveyed Amu's old friends. He had to consider what her relationship was with the two males present. Although he'd have to hear them talk with Amu to figure that out…

Amu cleared her throat. "Nade, Yaya, Kukai, Kairi. These are my new friends, Tadase, Niki-chan, and Rima."

"Nice to meet you all." The long haired girl (who reminded Tadase of Nagihiko) said, bowing. "I'm Nadeshiko. Fujisaki Nadeshiko."

"Fujisaki…?" Tadase mumbled. "Why does that name sound familiar?"

Amu bit her lip. "S-some people in Japan have the same surname. You should know that, Tadase."

"But…she looks like—"

Amu covered Tadase's mouth. "It must be a coincidence. I'm sure it's just a coincidence."

Nadeshiko looked at Amu. "I'm sorry but…what's he talking about?"

"N-nothing!" Amu stammered. "He's just confused. Don't worry about him."

"Anyways!" Kukai jumped in. "It's been so long. Why don't we do something?"

"Like what?" Kairi asked. "I do not think Amu-san remembers much of this place."

"Yaya wants ice cream!" Yaya jumped in, causing everyone to metaphorically sweat-drop.

"Fine. Let's get Yaya some ice cream then." Kukai said.

"Sure." Amu said. "You guys go on ahead. I need to do something."

Nadeshiko nodded. "We'll be waiting up the hill then. Just follow me."

Niki, Rima, and Tadase started following Amu's old friends. But Amu grabbed Tadase's arm and pulled him back. "Wait. Tadase."

"Hmm?" Tadase looked at Amu.

"Don't take this personally…" Amu started. "But, try not to act _too_ lovey-dovey with me when we walk."

Tadase tilted his head in confusion. "Okay. But why?"

Amu scratched her head. "Remember. When I said I wanted to wait to tell them I was in a relationship? Yeah. I feel like they'll know if we're like…walking hand in hand or something."

"Right." Tadase said. "So…essentially, you're saying until we decide to go back home, I'm not your boyfriend?"

Amu frowned and looked down. "When you put it that way, it makes it sound like I'm like…breaking up with you or something… Which I'm not, I swear."

Tadase chuckled and put his hands on Amu's shoulders. "Don't worry, Amu-chan. I understand. But…can I just do one last thing before we're 'just friends' again?"

Amu was about to question what Tadase meant, until realization dawned on her. She bit her lip, trying to keep herself from blushing, but managed a nod. She still didn't know why it embarrassed her so much whenever Tadase asked for a kiss.

Tadase smiled slightly and leaned in to steal Amu's lips in a sweet, chaste kiss. Then, just like that he pulled away. He hugged her tightly for a second or two, then let go of her completely. He looked at Amu, and then grabbed her wrist.

"This isn't lovey-dovey." He said with a wink. Then he started moving. "Now, we should go. Before they wonder."

Amu smiled slightly and followed Tadase as he ran up the hill. He let go of Amu's wrist the moment he was in eyeshot of the others. While Amu's current friends might already know about their relationship, Amu wasn't ready to tell her old friends that.

"Sorry." Amu said. "Tadase helped me find something."

"It's fine." Nadeshiko replied with a smile. "Shall we go now?"

Amu nodded happily. "Let's go."

Tadase found it unbelievably hard not to hold Amu's hand. Or put his arm around her. But he held it in. For Amu's sake. He followed Amu silently as she talked with her old friends about something he didn't know about. It was nice seeing her happy and laughing though.

They arrived at the ice cream shop and Kukai offered to buy all the ice cream. They sat down at a booth that was just barely big enough for all eight of them (Tadase ended up being squished against Amu and the wall). Kukai stayed standing and surveyed the table.

"Well. Since I obviously know what you guys want." He said gesturing to Nadeshiko, Yaya, Kairi, and Amu. "What do Hinamori's friends want?"

Tadase was going to open his mouth to respond, but Amu beat him too it. "Tadase want's vanilla. Niki-chan wants Chocolate. And…I'm not entirely sure what Rima wants."

"Mocha if they have any." Rima responded. "If not, I'll have what Tadase's having."

Kukai nodded and turned to walk to the front to order everything. While he was gone, Amu told her old friends about her life at a new school in a new town, and how she met her friends. Tadase felt warm inside hearing Amu talk so highly about him.

"Ohhh does Amu-chii like Tadase?" Yaya asked, looking between the two.

Amu waved her hands in front of her face, purposefully trying to look like she was lying. Or at least, Tadase could tell. Then again, he knew anyways how Amu felt for him. "No…no. We're just friends. Right Tadase?"

Tadase smiled. "Of course." He playfully bumped Amu with his shoulder, not taking account into what shoulder it was.

Amu bit her lip, trying not to show visual pain, but Tadase could sense it. He'd accidentally hit Amu on her injured shoulder. He gave her an apologetic look, but Amu shook it off and put on a smile.

"You guys make a cute couple though…" Yaya said.

Amu blushed. Obviously real. "W-well…"

Nadeshiko giggled. "Enough of that, Yaya-chan. You're making her uncomfortable."

"Ice creams here!" Kukai called, holding to trays of ice cream. He put them on the table for easy distribution. "Hinamori, here's your double scoop, chocolate strawberry. Yaya, here's your super-duper-every-flavor cone. Nadeshiko, your very berry cone, and Kairi, your vanilla. Tadase and Rima, your vanillas, and Niki; your chocolate."

Kukai took the last cone, a vanilla chocolate one, and sat down next to Yaya, who nearly dropped the top 3 layers of her ice cream cone (which was pretty tall with all the scoops) on his head. Amu laughed as Yaya started scarfing down the cone.

"So," Kukai said, looking at Amu. "Has anyone bothered you at your new school? Do I need to beat anyone up?"

Amu hesitated. "Well…"

"Someone's been bothering you, Amu-chan?" Nadeshiko asked. "How? Why?"

"Uh…" Amu had to remember, she was currently pretending to just be Tadase's friend. Though it started because she was just jealous Tadase was hanging out with some other girl. "W-well…"

"There was an incident." Tadase said. "But…somehow…the principle found out about it. And now she's suspended for a month."

"So then she's stopped bothering you then?" Kairi asked.

"You…could say that…" Amu said hesitantly. She twirled her hair absentmindedly. "Seeing as she's not doing it as directly anymore…"

"What do you mean?" Nadeshiko questioned.

"I probably shouldn't be getting you guys into it…" Amu said. "No point getting all the people I care about killed."

"I hope you're being sarcastic, Hinamori." Kukai said, staring at Amu with intense eyes.

"Oh, I wish I was…" Amu mumbled under her breath, but said nothing about what Kukai said and quickly changed the topic. "Enough about me. How have you guys been? Anything new?"

"Not really. Kairi left for a while. Something about his sister?" Kukai said, still not ready to let go of what Amu had said, but deciding not to comment on it again just yet.

"Onee-san was going overseas for some concert by the singer she manages. For some nonsense reason, she figured I wouldn't be safe at home. So I had to come." Kairi explained. "Oh, yes. Speaking of which, Amu-san, you probably don't know yet; Onee-san became a manager."

"A manager? Of who?" Amu asked.

"Hoshina Utau? I believe it's something like that. I don't really know. Onee-san's always out of town because the artist doesn't live here."

"D-did you say…Hoshi—Hoshina Utau?!" Amu asked incredulously.

Kairi nodded. "Yes. Why do you ask? Are you a fan of hers?"

"No…not really…" Amu said. "It's just…never mind."

Tadase was also pretty surprised hearing that. He'd have to talk to Ikuto about that next time he seen him (lately, he hadn't been at the neighbouring house 'their' father had rented him). Or maybe call him. Who knows?

"Uhm…" Amu added after a second. "Do you know if your older sister mentioned a guy? Tall, dark hair, mysterious. A bit creepy."

Kairi tilted his head to think. "The few times I'd actually met Utau-san, all she would talk about was some person named Ikuko…Takuto? Something like that I believe."

"It wouldn't happen to be Ikuto, would it?" Tadase jumped in. "Tsukiyomi Ikuto?"

"That's it!" Kairi said. "My apologies. Lately I've been terribly bad with names. Primarily because they don't have that much importance to me unless I'm friends with them or the likes. But yes, that's the person. Why? Do you know them?"

"Ikuto is Utau's sister." Tadase said. "And…they're both my step-siblings. Of sorts. Or adopted-siblings, if you'd prefer that."

"So you're saying you're related to Hoshina Utau?" Yaya asked.

"Not technically. We're not physically related by blood or anything. But I've known them since I was young." Tadase explained. "Both of their parents had died. So my father had adopted them. And I've known them since then."

"Cool!" Yaya exclaimed. "I wish my brother was like your siblings."

"Yaya, he's only like 3." Kukai said. "He's not capable of doing anything but cry, eat, and sleep."

"So basically what Yaya still does?" Amu questioned.

"Not as much as before. But yes. Pretty much." Kukai responded.

Yaya pouted. "HEEEYYY! YAYA ISN'T AT ALL LIKE HER LITTLE BROTHER."

Kukai laughed. "You keep telling yourself, Yaya."

Amu burst into laughter. "Yep. Still the same. Oh, I missed this…"

She laughed so hard she accidentally rubbed her injured arm against Tadase's shoulder, causing her to squeak slightly. She hadn't meant to. But it hurt. Her hand quickly moved up to rub her shoulder, which caused Tadase to look over at her worriedly.

"Amu-chi?" Yaya asked. "What's wrong?"

Amu shook her head. "It's fine. Nothing's wrong. Don't worry about it. I'm just a bit cold, I guess."

All three of the males at the table started taking off their jackets/sweaters to give to Amu. Amu laughed slightly. They were all such gentlemen. She stopped Tadase by putting her hand on his wrist and shook her head at Kukai and Kairi, telling them it was fine.

"Hey. Stop worrying about me." She said. "I'm strong. I can deal with a little bit of cold. Plus, it's probable just from the ice cream, that's all."

Despite saying that, Amu found herself wondering why even Tadase wanted to offer his jacket. He obviously knew what really happened. Did he just want to seem like he didn't know anything? For the others. Or did he just want to subtly show care for her? Amu sighed.

"I'm suddenly not in the mood for ice cream…" she mumbled, placing the flat-bottomed cone on the table. She put her arms on the table and put her head against them. "If anyone wants it, they can have it."

Tadase put his hand on Amu's back instinctively. "Amu-chan? _Doshitano_?"

Amu looked up at Tadase from the corner of her eye. She managed to shake her head through the position she was in. "_Nanimo-nai_, Tadase. I'm perfectly fine."

Tadase frowned. "But—"

"I'm _fine_, Tadase." Amu insisted. "Maybe just a bit tired."

"But you slept the whole way in the car." Niki pointed out.

"_Shush_." Amu said. "Maybe I just didn't get much sleep, okay? Jeez."

Tadase sighed. "Amu-chan? Can I talk to you alone for a second?"

Amu looked up. "Why?"

"Just come." Tadase said. "We need to talk."

"Ohhh." Yaya cooed in the background, which Amu chose to ignore.

"Alright, Tadase." Amu said.

Rima and Niki got up to let Tadase and Amu out of the seat and Amu followed Tadase out of earshot of the other's. Once they were out of earshot, Tadase turned to Amu and took his hands in hers, not really caring if anyone seen right now because all he was at the moment was worried.

"Tell me honestly, Amu-chan." He said. "What's wrong?"

Amu bit her lip. "My shoulder. It really hurts. And I don't know why… I just don't want them to know I'm hurt _this _badly thanks to _her_."

"I know…I know." Tadase said. "Should we examine it later? See if something happened to it."

Amu shook her head. "I'll be fine for now."

"Are you sure?" Tadase asked concernedly.

Amu nodded. "It's a waste if I don't have fun with all my friends, right?"

Tadase smiled. "How are you so strong, Amu-chan? But you know if you need anything you can tell me."

"Yes, Tadase." Amu smiled back. "Thanks."

Tadase hugged her quickly. "Anytime, Amu-chan."

Amu pulled away. "We better get back. They might get worried or something."

Tadase nodded and followed Amu back to the booth. Rima and Niki slid over this time and Tadase got in first next to Niki, making sure no one bumped into Amu's shoulder anymore. Yaya had already eaten the rest of Amu's ice cream, _plus _her own 15 scoop cone. It was a wonder Yaya wasn't fat sometimes.

"It's a nice day out." Nadeshiko commented after a while of silence. "Why don't we go to the pool or something?"

Amu blinked. "P-pool…?"

"What? Are you still afraid about us seeing too much skin?" Kukai asked. "We're all friends here. There's nothing to worry about, Hinamori."

"N-no…" Amu bit her lip. Her hand instinctively went up to her shoulder.

"Then let's go!" Yaya shouted, throwing her fist up in the air for no apparent reason.

"B-but I don't have a bathing suit." Amu said. "Neither do Tadase, Rima, or Niki-chan."

"You guys can borrow ours." Kukai offered.

"But…" Amu sighed.

She knew she couldn't get out of this. And obviously she had a lot of explaining to do after everyone found out about the large cut on her shoulder. Amu didn't figure any of her old friends had bathing suits that covered the shoulder. She bit her lip.

"Okay. Fine." Amu decided. "But…don't be surprised."

"Don't be surprised about what?" Yaya asked.

"Just…don't be surprised." Amu said.

Tadase glanced over at Amu carefully. He wondered if she was really okay with exposing what happened so soon. If only he could help her think of a way to _hide _the cut. But makeup wouldn't work too well, and it would be weird for Amu to wear something overtop of her bathing suit, even though people did it frequently.

"Tadase is looking at Amu-chii again~" Yaya suddenly burst out, scaring Tadase slightly.

"Knock it off, Yaya." Kukai said. "Just because a guy glances at a friend who happens to be a girl, it doesn't mean they like her. I do it all the time. Jeez."

Yaya pouted. "But…they'd be cute. And they keep going off together alone…I'm suspicious."

Tadase noticed Amu bite her lip. He laughed nervously at Yaya's statement and tried to think of something clever to say. "It's because…we're so close we tend to talk about some things in private. I don't think anyone minds…"

"See, Yaya?" Kukai said. "Just trust the guy. I'm sure he'd be reacting differently if he actually _liked _her."

Tadase nodded slightly to make it seem believable. Even though even when he _did _like her when they were just friends, he was pretty obvious about it (how Amu didn't notice was beyond him. Maybe the way Tadase acted was how Amu's old friend's acted). At least Kukai was defending him for some reason, though. Why, Tadase didn't know. But maybe Amu was right before when she said that he and Kukai would be good friends.

"Why don't we go then?" Nadeshiko said. "Amu-chan and Niki-chan can come to my house since you're both around my size. Rima-chan can go to Yaya-chan's house because they're both fairly petite. And Tadase-kun can decide whether he wants to go to Kairi-kun's or Kukai-kun's."

Everyone nodded and got up from the booth. Because they all lived fairly close to each other, though, the group stuck together for a bit until they had to go their separate ways. Tadase took that time to talk to Amu quietly.

"Amu-chan." He called.

Amu looked back and seemed to have said something to Niki and Nadeshiko, then slowed down to let Tadase catch up with her. Yaya looked at them skeptically for a second, but sighed and looked away when Kukai also noticed and tugged her hair lightly to get her to stop.

"Amu-chan." Tadase said again once Yaya had stopped staring at them. "Are you sure you're okay with this?"

"Hmm?" Amu looked at the blond. "Okay with what?"

Tadase gestured to Amu's shoulder. "With them seeing…_that_."

Amu shrugged. "I guess I have no choice now. I tried to talk them out of it. But they gave me reasonable responses. It would seem suspicious if I kept refusing."

"Be careful, okay?" Tadase said. "We don't know how chorine will react to your cut."

"They probably won't let me in the water if they see it anyways." Amu said. "I mean…it's pretty bad."

"Does it still hurt?" Tadase asked. "Your shoulder I mean."

"I'm fine now." Amu replied. "It probably because my shoulder was pressed against yours and any movement caused it to rub against your. Friction, I guess you could say, caused it to hurt."

Tadase's hand moved up to rub the back of his neck. "Yeah. Sorry about that. I should've realized…"

Amu shook her head. "It's not your fault. Let's just hope explaining it goes well."

Tadase nodded. He quickly snatched Amu's hand and squeezed it before letting it go. Just in time, too. Nadeshiko looked back and gestured for Amu to come back up. They must be near the spot where they had to split up.

Amu waved to Tadase and ran to catch up with Nadeshiko and Niki. Tadase caught up with Kukai, who he decided to go with instead of Kairi for two reasons; he wanted to see if Amu was right when she said he and Kukai would make good friends, and two; Kairi was younger and a bit shorter that Tadase, so he figured Kukai's clothing would fit better. They finally parted ways and Tadase lost sight of Amu when he turned to follow Kukai. Now he'd just have to wait and see what would happen after they learned about Amu's shoulder.

* * *

**A/N: Phew. that was a lot to write. A little over 3k WITHOUT this authors note. I hope you guys enjoyed this long chapter. I'm not sure if I added and new Japanese words. A lot of stuff happened during this chapter. I hope it wasn't too much to handle. lol. I also hope I didn't end up rushing things too much. ^^;**

**And after going through the chapter I found some Japanese.**

**Doshitano: What's the matter?**

**Nanimo-nai: Nothing.**

**And that's it. (I don't even know who takes the time to read these author's notes after they finish the chapter. But oh well.)**

**Bye, lovelies~ See you all whenever I get the chance to work on the next chapter.**


	10. Chapter 10

**A/N: This isn't the longest. But I wanted to leave it at a sort of...cliff hanger? (if you can even call it that). Also, the female bathing suits mentioned were all based off bathing suits I found on google. Well except Rima's.**

**Anywho, here's the chapter you've all been wanting. ^^ Sorry-it's been a short while since my last update (or...i think -loses track of time easily-) **

**Enjoy this chapter, my lovely readers~ 33**

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**-Chapter Ten-**

Amu hadn't been in Nadeshiko's house in so long, she almost got lost. It wasn't even like the house was big, either. Nadeshiko continuously had to drag Amu back on track, eventually opting for just holding her wrist the rest of the way to her bedroom. Niki just giggled behind them. She knew not to follow Amu around in a house she hadn't been to in 6 months, so she'd just followed Nadeshiko instead.

They got to Nadeshiko's room, where the tall blue haired female dug through her drawers to pull out dozens of bathing suits that they could choose from. Unfortunately for Amu, most of them were pastel colors, which totally weren't her style. But she couldn't help it; most of her friends liked light, pastel-y colors, while she preferred darker colors.

"Uhm…" Amu mumbled. "Nade…you wouldn't happen to have any…crop top that I can put on top of the bathing suit, would you? Just until we get to the pool—so we're not walking around the streets looking like…sl—prostitutes."

Nadeshiko giggled. "Yes, yes. You girls can get sarongs and tops if needed."

Amu sighed in relief. "Thanks, Nade."

"Now go on, choose a bathing suit." Nadeshiko gestured to the multiple types and colors of bathing suits on her bed, neatly organized already by either type or color.

One bathing suit caught her eye that might just do the trick of hiding her _problem; _instead of a halter or strap, or strapless top, it was a short sleeve top cut a few inches below the bust. But the problem was, she didn't like the way it looked. She sighed and looked at the other options. She gravitated towards the one-piece bathing suit that was black, but had a bit of baby pink along the side and upper bust. On the black part were half-moons.

"I figured you'd like it." Nadeshiko smiled slightly. "Want to try it on?"

Amu bit her lip, but she eventually nodded. She took the one piece off Nadeshiko's bed and looked at Niki. "Niki-chan, can you judge how it looks for me?"

Nadeshiko looked mock-disappointed. "Why not me?"

"It's been a while…" Amu said. "And I've been around Niki-chan since I came to the school, much like I've been around Tadase since then, too."

Nadeshiko giggled. "I understand. I was just kidding. Go along now. The bathroom is just two doors down from my room."

Amu nodded and left the room with Niki tagging along behind. Amu found the bathroom and went inside to try on the bathing suit. It wouldn't cover her arm. But in all honest, she chose a one piece because she was embarrassed to show too much skin to Tadase. And it was kind of cute.

Niki knocked on the door lightly to get Amu's attention. Inside, Amu turned and cracked the door to look at her friend quizzically.

"What's the real reason why you wanted me to judge the bathing suit?" Niki asked in a hushed voice.

"You should know." Amu replied. She moved away from the door and continued changing into the bathing suit. "My shoulder. I want to keep it hidden for as long as possible. So…if I decide to wear this—grab me a crop top or something to put over top."

"Sure thing, Amu-chan." Niki said. "I've got your back."

"Thanks, Niki-chan." Amu smiled even though Niki couldn't see it. "Anyways. I think I'm done."

"Lemme see." Niki said.

Amu hesitantly pushed the door open. Niki winced slightly when she glanced at the cut on Amu's shoulder, but grinned when she looked at the bathing suit on Amu. Amu blushed slightly and looked down in embarrassment.

"Well?" the pink haired girl said impatiently.

"Amu-chan~!" Niki said. "You look so cutee!"

Amu blushed again. "_Hontoni_...?"

Niki nodded. "Minus the cut, you look really adorable! Do you like it? Should I grab a top for you to wear on top?"

Amu looked at herself in the mirror, using her hand to cover the stiches. She gave a slight nod at Niki, who then disappeared back into Nadeshiko's room to ask for a top to put on over the bathing suit. Nadeshiko questioned not being able to see it without the top, but didn't press to hard and handed Niki and white t-shirt that cut off at the midriff.

"Here, Amu-chan." Niki said, giving Amu the shirt.

Amu quickly put it on. "Thanks. Have you decided what you want to wear yet?"

Niki shrugged. "I'm stuck between a few. I'm not sure if I should go for modest or showy…"

Amu laughed. "Well, I guess you should try things on then."

After a couple minutes of trying on multiple bathing suits, Niki settled on a one piece as well; it was pink and has frills on the straps and bottom; instead of bikini bottom, the bottom was like boy-short style. Nadeshiko was the only one who wore a bikini, which surprised Amu a bit. Nadeshiko's bathing suit was light green with a securely tied up front (which Amu later figured out was just for show), and a frilled, skirt like bottom

The trio covered themselves up with skirts, shorts, tops (if needed), and/or sarongs, then headed off to meet the others at the pool, which was a few blocks away from Nadeshiko's house. Coincidentally, on the way to the pool they ran into Yaya and Rima. Yaya was wearing a pink frilly two piece, and Rima was wearing a simple white bikini style two piece and a floppy sunhat. She obviously wasn't afraid of anything, especially since she also had sunglasses on. As if she was going to the beach.

Kukai, Kairi, and Tadase were already at the pool by the time the five girls got there. Kairi was wearing a teal colored pair of board shorts, Tadase found a blue pair, and Kukai wore a khaki green pair. Tadase had a gray zip up sleeveless hoodie over top of his bare stomach, but the other two didn't seem to be very self-conscious besides the towel around Kairi's neck that covered half of his torso.

Tadase looked up when he heard approaching footsteps. His eyes immediately fell on Amu, who…Tadase had no words on how to express how he felt. And he couldn't even see the full suit. He noted the shirt that covered her upper-body. It hid the stitches well. For now. Something told him that Amu would have to take it off eventually even if she didn't want to.

"Sure took you girls long enough." Kukai complained. "It only took Tadase and I like two minutes to choose our bathing suits."

"Well you guys obviously don't have much to think about." Niki said. "Us girls have to choose whether they want to show skin or not, or if they want to look cute or mature. It's a long process. You guys wouldn't understand since all you guys have are abs."

"Don't forget about—" Kukai was about to say, but Kairi cleared his throat to stop Kukai from saying anything else.

"Anyways." Tadase said. "Are we going to swim or lounge around for a bit?"

"Yaya wants to swim!" Yaya exclaimed, already tossing away her sarong and running towards the surprisingly empty pool.

Amu laughed. "I think I'll go sit on a lounge chair for now."

"I'll join you then." Nadeshiko offered. "We have a lot to talk about."

Amu nodded and turned to find a nice spot to sit at. The only thing she shed was the pair of shorts she was wearing over top of the bathing suit. Tadase noted this, but knew the reason why she wasn't taking the top off, as did Rima and Niki.

After a bit (read: a lot) of coaxing, complaining, and pulling from Yaya, Amu eventually got up from the lounging chair. Mainly because Yaya had been pulling the arm that was injured, so she didn't want Yaya pulling her arm off or anything. But it didn't help that her arm had started hurting after that. She sighed.

"Okay, okay!" Amu said, trying to get Yaya to let her go. "I've been trying to hold this off for as long as possible. But—Yaya's annoying. So…I guess…if you have a weak stomach you might not want to look…because…I'm going to take this off. And you're probably not going to let me into the water after you see why I've been keeping this on…"

All of Amu's old friends looked confused. Amu slowly and hesitantly lifted off the top, covering her injured shoulder for a second, half embarrassed, half afraid of her friends' reactions. Tadase instinctively went up to try support Amu. They met eyes and Tadase nodded.

"Well…" Amu said slowly. "Do you want the explanation first?"

"Yes, please explain to us what's going on." Kukai replied, crossing his arms. "Who do I have to kill if you got hurt?"

"Uh…" Amu mumbled. "It's a long story…"

"Well why don't we sit down and talk about it?" Nadeshiko suggested. "If you want to, you can put the shirt back on."

Amu nodded and put the shirt back on (Tadase covered for her—trying his best to keep Amu's shoulder hidden). Then she sat on one of the chairs situated near the pool. All of Amu's old friends sat around her, either on the ground or on chairs next to her. Amu took a breath. Now was the big moment. Whatever she said couldn't be taken back no matter what. Slowly, she started to explain all that had happened since she joined the new school.

* * *

**A/N: I only used one Japanese word in this chapter lol. **

**Hontoni: Really?**

**Also, for those who may not know (though this isn't a Japanese term), a sarong is like...a piece of cloth that you tie around your waist when you go to the beach. I don't know if it has a real purpose, but I put it in context that they were going to use it to cover skin when walking to the pool (though really, it would most likely only hide the backside, but whatever). **

**I hope you enjoyed this, and my terrible sense of humor included. xD **

**And I'm sorry for leaving it in such a way lol. Suspense is good in a story. Though there's not much of a 'climax' that this would leave on. xD I suck at cliff hangers/suspense. Gomennasai (I'm sorry). u.u**


	11. Chapter 11

**A/N: To make up for the slightly shorter chapter before, take a slightly longer chapter now. Quite a bit happens in this. :P Not anything extreme though. No random appearance from Saaya (although I kind of did want to do that). But yea-enjoy! **

* * *

**-Chapter Eleven-**

Amu's old friends stared at her for a long time. Kukai looked ready to kill someone, Yaya looked like she was about to cry, Kairi…well, he always looked like he was calculating something. Amu licked her lips nervously, waiting for someone to speak. Alas, no one said anything. Amu tugged on the shirt she was wearing awkwardly.

Tadase cleared his throat in attempt to get at least someone talking, noticing Amu's tenseness and nervousness due to the lack of anyone speaking. Amu bit her lip and looked at her old friends. Nadeshiko had, at some point, ended up taking Amu's hand sympathetically, and was currently rubbing it friendly-like.

"Poor Amu-chan…" she uttered, squeezing Amu's hand. "Why didn't you tell any of us…?"

"I—I…" Amu licked her lips again. "I was too afraid for my new friends…to think about you guys. Because Saaya doesn't _know _you guys. But she _knows_ Niki-chan, Tadase, Rima, and all of the other people I've come to know over the days."

Nadeshiko's hand moved to rub Amu's back comfortingly. "It's okay. I understand, Amu-chan. You're just concerned for your friends. Just like you always are. So, what did you want to show us all? It obviously has something to do with what you just told us."

"Tadase…knows more about what happened than me." Amu said as she slowly moved to take off the white shirt she had. "But—it's pretty bad. Even I can't look at it."

Everyone—not including Amu's newer friends—looked at Tadase expectantly, now not paying any attention to Amu so she could, thankfully, take the shirt off carefully without having _too _many people staring at her.

Tadase was keeping the others satisfied with his explanation of what happened when she got her cut. Amu found herself wondering how the others hadn't noticed the still visible stitches on her legs. Or how Kukai didn't notice the stitches on Tadase's calf. She shrugged and gently rubbed her shoulders. Niki eyed the stitched up gash with mild disgust and sympathy. Rima looked away, putting her sunglasses on again as if it would hide the gash.

"_Ano_…" Amu said quietly when Tadase was done explaining. "Now that you know what happened…here's the outcome…"

Tadase looked over at Amu and winced slightly as if he was the one who got stabbed in the shoulder. The other four teenagers turned around slowly to see what Amu was talking about before all giving mixed reactions. Kairi looked indifferent, but had a hint of sympathy and pain in his eyes that Amu could see, Kukai…still looked like he wanted to kill someone, Yaya looked like she was about to either cry or vomit. And Nadeshiko just stared at the gash in surprise.

Amu rubbed her arms nervously. "So…yeah. That's why I didn't want to go swimming. But—I won't waste your guys' fun. You can go in the water—I'll just stay on the ground. Maybe just dip my feet in the water."

Yaya pouted. "Aww. That's no fun though! I wanted to play with all of you!"

"Yaya, we don't know how chorine reacts to something like a cut." Kukai said. "Hinamori probably has to be as careful as possible with such an injury."

Yaya continued to pout, but nodded reluctantly. Everyone made their way to the pool. Except Tadase, Nadeshiko, and surprisingly, Kairi. The teal haired male looked around for a second before approaching Amu carefully, still seemingly thinking critically about something. He carefully placed his hands on Amu's shoulder, almost making Tadase jealous.

"Amu-san." He said. "Follow me for a second. I have something to show you."

Amu blinked in surprise but nodded. Tadase looked like he wanted to say something, to which Amu noted and shook her head as if saying 'don't worry'. Then she followed Kairi to a room that Amu had always thought was just a maintenance room. Kairi opened the door, which again, Amu had always thought was locked.

"There's some pool chairs in here somewhere." Kairi said. "I remember seeing them when the caretaker asked me to aide him. That way you can be in the water with us, but not get your shoulder too wet. And—if you need anything else, please do tell me. I have painkillers, gauze, hydrogen peroxide, anything you need, at my house. It'll only take 10 minutes for us to run there."

Amu smiled. "_Arigatou_, Kairi! You're great."

Kairi's face flushed slightly. "_D-doitemashite, _Amu-san."

Amu quickly went inside the room and looked around for a pool chair. She grinned widely when she found a simple, translucent white one. Kairi was seriously a life saver for Amu at that moment. She almost felt like hugging him, but felt like it would make him uncomfortable. She came out of the room, grinning happily.

"Seriously, thank you _so _much, Kairi!" she said. "You're a life saver!"

Kairi fixed his glasses busily. "Of course. Now, let's get back."

Amu nodded and started to drag the pool chair with her. Kairi stopped her and took the pool chair from her arms gently. Amu looked over and smiled, nodding her head in thanks. She ran ahead to meet up with Tadase again, Kairi trailing behind.

"Sorry, Tadase." Amu said. "Kairi told me about a pool chair I could use. Now I can go into the pool with all of you." She grinned and gestured to the pool chair in Kairi's arms. "Kairi's such a life saver, isn't he?"

Tadase looked over at Kairi, trying not to look mad or jealous. He managed a nod. "Yeah. Of course. Thank you, Sanjou-san for offering Amu-chan help."

Kairi bowed his head. "You're welcome, Hotori-san."

Amu heard a cheer come from inside the pool. Obviously from Yaya, who must have noticed the pool chair. "Is that for Amu-chii?!"

Kairi looked over at Yaya. "Ah, yes. That's correct. I recalled seeing one while I helped the caretaker of the pool for something. I didn't really think much of it then. But after seeing Amu-san not being able to swim with us all, I decided to tell her about it so she wouldn't feel left out."

Yaya cheered again. "YAAAY! Come on Amu-chii! Put it in the water and get in!"

Amu laughed and Kairi put the pool chair into the water, making sure Amu could get in it without tipping it or going too far into the water. Tadase watched and held onto the other side of the inflatable chair, ready to catch Amu if she were to fall. Once Amu was properly and steadily floating in the pool chair, Kairi nudged the chair so she was able to move and float around. Then he and Tadase stepped into the water.

Once everyone was in the water, Amu used one of her feet to flick water at someone. The aimed target ended up being Tadase. Tadase looked at Amu in surprise and amusement, and then splashed some back at her, also hitting Niki in the process. After that, a splash fight occurred, evoking tons of laughter and smiles from the eight teenagers. It helped them all get familiar and friendly with each other.

Amu smiled at all of her new friends getting along perfectly with her old friends. This was a nice break from the chaos in her new town. She paddled herself over to the edge of the pool to hop out and just sit on the ledge, her legs swaying back and forth in the water as she watched her friends playing around, splashing each other, and making bets about who could stay under water the longest. Tadase noticed her sitting there and swam over to her.

"Tired of floating around?" he asked with a chuckle.

Amu moved her foot to splash Tadase with water, but Tadase swam away before it could hit him. He approached Amu again, looking at her expectantly, waiting for her to speak or answer his question, even though it was meant to be joking and rhetorical.

"I was just watching you all getting along." Amu finally said with a smile. "It's nice. Seeing all of my friends having fun."

Tadase hopped out of the pool and sat next to Amu, following her gaze towards the group of teenagers fooling around—even Kairi was having fun and laughing. All of this was so nostalgic for Amu; seeing Nadeshiko, Yaya, Kukai and Kairi laughing together and having fun. She sighed contently and leaned her arm on her knee, resting her chin on it.

Tadase watched her with an endearing smile. He was happy that Amu was happy. She'd been through a lot, so it was great seeing her smiling and having fun. Even if she was just watching her friends now. He eyed her again.

"I don't think I mentioned this," he said. "But you look really nice."

Amu blushed, moving her arms to cover her slightly exposed body. "It's…uncomfortable…I never went swimming with the others before because—I felt weird…wearing a bathing suit in front of the guys…"

Tadase nodded. "Yeah. And now with all your cuts and scars, it's probably even more awkward. I bet you're really self-conscious right now, having that"—Tadase gestured to the cut on her shoulder—"out in the open."

Amu nodded slowly, pursing her lips. "I—it's weird, I'll admit. But—at least I don't have to deal with _her_."

"It's definitely better here than back there." Tadase agreed. "Too bad you can't move back here…"

Amu shook her head. "That would be giving up—on Saaya, on you, on everyone. I—I can't do that. I couldn't leave all that behind. It would be chickening out."

Tadase looked at Amu critically. "But wouldn't it be better just to leave the city entirely? Then you wouldn't have to deal with Saaya and could live happily without getting hurt."

"But Saaya might thing I'm afraid to face her. And I'm not. I'm afraid of the people she's sending to kill me, not her." Amu said. "I could take her any day, I'm sure."

"You're so brave." Tadase said. "I don't think I've ever met a girl as brave and strong as you."

Amu blushed. "I guess…I just don't want what happens to anyone else who's been bullied. I'd rather…have her stop then to…" she trailed off.

"Kill yourself?" Tadase continued slowly.

Amu looked down and stayed silent. Tadase sighed and put his hand on Amu's. Amu looked up at him curiously. By now, though neither Amu nor Tadase had noticed, everyone was watching them, waiting for something to happen. Now their bets were if they were going to kiss or not.

But Tadase knew better. He knew he wasn't supposed to be too romantic with Amu. He sighed again, waiting for Amu to say or do something. She had looked down again. Suddenly, Tadase heard sniffling. He looked over at Amu quickly and moved his hand to left Amu's head up. The other teenagers moved forward in anticipation.

"Amu-chan…" Tadase said quietly. "Why are you crying?"

Amu shook her head. She rubbed her eyes. "_D-daijoubu_..."

Tadase risked putting her arm around Amu to comfort him. "Hey, it's okay, Amu-chan. You're fine. I know you'd never think about committing suicide. It's better to solve the problem than end it all for yourself."

Amu took a breath, instinctively leaning against Tadase. "I know…but—I'm afraid…that I might revert to that…and…I—I don't want to. I love my life. I love my friends and I love…" that was when she realized the others were watching.

Most of them pretended not to be paying attention, but Yaya was eager. "You love whaat Amu-chii?"

Amu quickly moved away from Tadase, her face flushed. "S-stop eavesdropping you guys! It's not nice."

Nadeshiko swam over to Amu. "No. But it's also not nice to keep secrets."

"Niki told us you two were dating." Kukai said. "When Tadase started talking to you."

"Aren't you going to tell us how it happened?" Nadeshiko asked. "And why you were keeping it from us."

Amu looked down. She rubbed the back of her neck nervously. "Well. I guess I have a bit more explaining to do then."

Everyone nodded and Amu stood up. Tadase stood up with her and gestured for the others to get out of the pool too. They all obliged and soon, everyone was in the same scenario as they were only 10 minutes ago; Amu sitting on a chair with everyone else around her. Well, they had to find out eventually. But Amu was definitely going to kill Niki later. Metaphorically, of course.

* * *

**A/N: I used some Japanese -gasp- That's almost unheard of now!**

**Ano: Um/uh**

**Arigatou: Thank you**

**Doitemashite: You're welcome**

**Daijoubu: I'm okay/it's okay. **

**There we go. I hope you enjoyed this. ^^ I'll update as soon as possible! Thanks for supporting this~**

**Niki-chan~**


	12. Chapter 12

**A/N: OKAY. IT'S FINALLY FINISHED. THIS LONG LONG CHAPTER... which would have been longer if I hadn't removed some pointless dialogue about Rima wanting hot chocolate but Niki convincing her to shut up and live with the tea. Idk.**

**But yeah. I had no clue where I was going with this at first. I just wanted it to end with Amu, Tadase, Rima, and Niki leaving. So the ending is probably pretty bad because I was trying to find a way to end it and blah. But yeah, enjoy and all that. **

**Too lazy to write a full disclaimer but you know I only own Niki so uh yeah. **

* * *

**-Chapter Twelve-**

Tadase had started also explaining everything in his point of view, though why he felt it was necessary was beyond Amu. It was sweet hearing his side of the story though. Also a bit embarrassing. She had to cover her face at some point because of how red it was. Kukai and Yaya teased for a bit, too, which made her even redder.

"Why didn't you tell us this before?" Nadeshiko asked after the story and teasing was over.

"I—I thought you'd think I was like…trying too hard." Amu stammered, her hands still covering her face.

Kukai let out a weird scoff/laugh. "Trying too hard about what? We were more surprised that you even _got _a boyfriend. You've been awkward and nervous about dating since your mother decided you were allowed to date."

Amu's hands rose up to cover more of her face. She didn't know how to answer that. She was too embarrassed already; she didn't need any more of it. Thankfully, Nadeshiko jumped in to save the day by putting her hand on Kukai's shoulder.

"Kukai-kun, stop." She said. "Look at her; she's already embarrassed enough. She looks like she's about to turn into a tomato."

Yaya laughed loudly, causing Amu to sink against her seat. Tadase was chuckling, presumably at how cute Amu was acting currently. She let out a sigh and rose from her seat abruptly. Everyone looked up in surprise and confusion, wondering why Amu had stood up.

"This was another reason why I didn't want to tell you this!" she exclaimed in exasperation. "I _knew _Kukai and Yaya would tease me about it. That's why I had Tadase pretend to just be friends with me. I thought the plan was going fine, but _Niki-chan _ruined it." Amu sent a mild glare at her friend. "I thought Tadase and I would get off free. But _no_."

Tadase stood up too and put his hand on her shoulder. "Amu-chan—it's okay. Calm down, please. You're just stressed, aren't you?"

Amu looked at Tadase and her face calmed slightly. She sighed. "_Gomen_…but—I seen it coming. That's why I decided to pretend to only be close friends with Tadase. I trust and love you guys and all…I just—know too well that if I were to get a boyfriend you would drill me about it. I felt bad about it—because of Tadase…"

Niki looked down guiltily. "Sorry…I—I didn't actually know you guys were pretending not to be together…you could have told us, at least."

Amu licked her lips for the umpteenth time that day. "Maybe I'm overreacting. Sorry."

She looked up at the sky, where the clouds were already changing to a pinkish orange color from the sun slowly setting; a bit early, but Amu wasn't surprised about much anymore. A silence fell as Amu continued to watch the sky. Tadase was still at her side, eyeing her curiously, waiting to see if she'd say anything else.

"Kairi, what time is it?" Amu asked after another moment.

"Let me see…" Kairi looked down at his (waterproof) watch and wiped off some water droplets. "It appears to be a quarter past five; almost six. Why do you ask?"

"Maybe we should get going." Amu said. "This was all fun, but it's getting pretty late."

Amu's old friends looked disappointed. Nadeshiko took the initiative to step forward and offer them a reason to stay longer. "Why don't we all go to my place and I'll cook us some dinner before you leave. It would be a shame to have you leave on an empty stomach."

Yaya nodded fiercely in agreement. "Yeah! Please, stay longer, Amu-chii!"

Amu managed a smile. "Okay. But after dinner, Tadase, Niki, Rima, and I are leaving."

Kairi, Kukai, Yaya, and Nadeshiko all nodded in agreement. Kukai said, "Deal."

Then, after another couple seconds of silence and gathering of belongings, the eight headed off, following Nadeshiko to her house. Kukai had dropped back to talk to Amu and Tadase, who were now—albeit slightly awkwardly for Amu—holding hands.

"In all honesty, I had really believed that you and Tadase were just friends; it was a bit of a shocker to hear you two were _actually_ dating." He said, casually putting his arm around Amu's shoulders. "With that being said, good job, Tadase, for being able to do such a complicated thing. If I had a girlfriend whom I wasn't allowed to express my love for in public, I'd freak out."

Tadase glanced at Kukai, who realized what he was doing and quickly let go of Amu, apologizing quietly. Tadase laughed slightly at both Kukai's reaction to his look and his comment before. "Yeah, it was a bit hard. When she first told me, I felt a bit…friend-zoned for a second."

Amu looked down embarrassedly. "S-sorry, Tadase…I—I didn't mean to make you feel that way."

Tadase gave Amu's hand a squeeze. "Hey, don't worry about that Amu-chan. It's not that big of a deal."

Kukai smirked. "I'll leave you guys alone now. We're almost there anyways."

With that, Kukai snuck up on Yaya to scare her and ended up getting hit. He laughed. Amu always wondered why Kukai picked on Yaya so much. Maybe it was just because she was younger and easier to pick on. But if that were the case, he would be trying to pick on Kairi, too. Although Amu didn't know how well that would work. So maybe it makes sense that Kukai picks on Yaya because she's so much younger than him.

"Your friends are…" Tadase started, shaking Amu from her thoughts. "Pretty understanding. And nice."

Amu laughed. "And a bit odd."

Tadase shrugged. "Maybe Yaya-san...but besides that, they're fairly normal."

Amu continued to laugh. "Oh, god. I never thought you'd admit that Yaya is a bit weird."

"Yaya heard that!" Yaya called from in front of them, causing Amu to laugh even harder.

"Ow, my side hurts." Amu complained while still laughing. "Yaya, stop making me laugh so hard!"

After a while, Amu stopped laughing, clutching her sides slightly. By then, they had arrived at Nadeshiko's house and the eight entered. Amu couldn't help but think about how it was like for Nadeshiko to live with Nagihiko. They two of them, switching spots with one another. Amu wondered if sometimes, the Nadeshiko she had talked to and laughed with…was actually Nagihiko. Or if Amu was even friends with Nadeshiko during the time when they would constantly pretend to be one another.

Too bad she couldn't ask—she wasn't sure how Nadeshiko would feel about someone knowing about her twin brother. Though maybe she could talk about it in secret with her. She shrugged to herself and continued inside the traditional house, following the others into the dining room. They all sat down and Nadeshiko disappeared into the next room, which was the kitchen, as Amu recalled passing earlier.

"So, Amu-san, what is it like living in the place you are currently living in?" Kairi, who was in between Yaya and Rima. "Besides that kleptomaniac woman who's trying to hurt you just for hanging around with her ex-boyfriend."

"Tadase convinced me to join the student council, which is where Rima and Niki are from, too." Amu explained. "Frankly, almost all of my current friends are from student council. And there are a lot of people on student council. I'm not close to all of them yet, but they're all friendly with me in class and during council."

"Hasn't Nagi-kun been talking to you a lot recently?" Niki asked. "Giving you advice and such."

Amu made a quick glance at the other room, hoping she didn't catch the name. "Yeah. But he's always been doing that."

"Speaking of him…" Niki said. "He kind of reminds me of—"

"No one!" Amu interrupted, practically crawling across the table to shut Niki up, just in case Nadeshiko heard their conversations from the kitchen.

As if on cue, Nadeshiko poked her head through the door and beckoned Amu. "Amu-chan, could you help me in the kitchen?"

Amu bit her lip, suspecting Nadeshiko was going to question her about the conversation about her secret twin brother, but stood up nevertheless and followed Nadeshiko into the kitchen. In the kitchen, Nadeshiko handed Amu an apron and told her to cut some vegetables for her. Amu nodded and took the knife from Nadeshiko's hand, careful not to cut herself.

While Amu was already afraid of sharp objects due to all that she's been through getting constantly stabbed and slashed by them, she couldn't deny one of her best friends. And she figured Nadeshiko called her into the kitchen for a reason besides to help her chop vegetables.

Amu started cutting some green onions that Nadeshiko put on the cutting board, and Nadeshiko continued on making whatever deliciously smelling food she was making. The only thing that could be heard was the sound of Amu's knife hitting the wooden cutting board, and the bubbling of the pot on the stove that Nadeshiko was tending to.

"Amu-chan." Nadeshiko said as Amu handed the long haired teenager the chopped green onions. "Who do your friends keep saying I look like or remind them of?"

"Hmm?" Amu asked innocently. "What do you mean?"

"Don't think I don't know." Nadeshiko said knowingly. "You know about my brother, don't you? How?"

Amu bit her lip. "Nagi is…part of the student council of my school."

"Wait—Nagihiko is at the school you're _currently _at?" Nadeshiko asked incredulously. "I didn't think Papa sent him _that _far away."

"To be fair, it's only a 2 hour drive from there to here." Amu said. "Next time I visit, I'll convince Nagi to come, without him knowing about you—though he already knows I was friends with you."

"Do the others know Nagihiko is my twin?" Nadeshiko asked.

"I know Rima does. Somehow; not sure exactly how, though. She was there when I asked about it. So maybe that's it. But she seems to know a lot more, too." Amu responded. "Other than that, I don't think they know."

"To what extent?" Nadeshiko questioned.

Amu shrugged and put the knife down, not trusting herself holding it and talking at the same time. "Beats me. I feel like Rima likes Nagi. Or maybe the other way around. But they seem to know a lot about one another."

Nadeshiko nodded in understanding. "Well, good for him Rima's a really pretty girl."

"Speaking of Nagihiko; do Yaya, Kairi, and Kukai know about him?" Amu inquired.

"Oh, gosh, I'd hope not." Nadeshiko said. "If Kukai-kun reacted in such a way when you told us about Tadase-kun being your boyfriend, who knows how he'd react if he found out I had a brother."

Amu laughed and nodded in agreement. "Yeah. Sometimes I'm afraid to tell him about things. Just because I know he'll find a way to tease me for it." She picked the knife up again. "Do you need anything else? Or did you just want to ask me about Nagihiko?"

"…You sure know me well, Amu-chan." Nadeshiko said. "But if you want to help, by all means."

Amu shook her head. "As much as I'd love to, this knife scares me, so I'd rather put it down before I hurt myself. It smells delicious though."

Nadeshiko smiled. "Thank you, Amu-chan. Now, go back into the dining room so I can finish."

Amu nodded and made her way back into the dining room. She sat back down next to Tadase and glanced at Rima, finding herself wondering about what Rima's relationship was with Nagihiko was. Rima seemed to dislike him, but also…like him at the same time. Maybe they were just frenemies like Rima was with Niki. She shrugged and tried to focus on whatever conversation was going on.

Several minutes later, Nadeshiko came out with a pot of stew and eight bowls. Then she disappeared back into the kitchen and came back with some handmade bread and a pot of tea. It smelled like heaven; an excellent combination of meat and vegetables.

"Wahh." Niki said in astonishment. "It looks so good!"

Nadeshiko giggled. "I've always liked cooking. So I'm glad you think so."

"So, what are we waiting for?" Kukai asked. "Let's eat!"

The eight teenagers started eating their food, discussing random things, or just staying in a comfortable silence. They were just happy to be around each other; to look up for a second and just smile at the person in front of them before going back to eating or drinking, or a conversation with someone else. Because after they finished eating, Amu and all of her friends would be going back, any last glance or smile meant a lot to Nadeshiko and the others, whether some wanted to admit it or not.

Finally, after 20 minutes, everyone finished and was full and ready to send Amu, Rima, Tadase, and Niki off. Well, kind of. Yaya was already crying. But Amu half expected that to happen anyways. They had changed back into their clothing after finishing (Tadase had brought his clothing with him) dinner and were now standing by the front door of Nadeshiko's house.

"You promise to call us?" Yaya asked after recovering from her sobbing.

Amu nodded. "Of course. Feel free to visit me, too, providing Saaya isn't out to kill me during that time."

"If you ever need me to punch some face in, call or text me." Kukai said. "I've got your back, Hinamori."

Amu smiled. "_Arigatou_, Kukai. I'll be sure to."

Nadeshiko stepped forward and offered Amu a hug, to which Amu accepted wholeheartedly. They hugged for a while, then finally pulled back just in time for Yaya to throw herself at Amu. Amu laughed and patted Yaya's back as the younger soaked her shirt with tears and nearly metaphorically killed her injured shoulder. Amu managed to pry Yaya off of her so she could pay attention to her other old friends before it got _too _late.

Kukai ruffled Amu's bubblegum pink hair and smiled brightly at her. "See ya later, Hinamori."

Amu smiled back and nodded and looked at Kairi. Kairi bowed his head at her, causing Amu to laugh slightly. She offered her hand in a shake, knowing the younger, blue eyed male wouldn't be up for a hug. Kairi pushed up his glasses and shook Amu's hand with a friendly shake.

"Good luck with your, ah, 'friend', Amu-san." Kairi said. "If you ever need any help with something, do not be afraid to contact me. It might take a while to get there; however, it would be rude of me to abandon a friend whom is in danger."

"Thank you, Kairi." Amu replied. "Thanks all of you. It was fun today. I'm glad I got to see you."

"We're glad too." Nadeshiko said with a friendly smile. "Now you best head off. It's already pretty dark. Hotori-kun said you have a way back, so please get back safely and text me when you do."

Amu nodded and moved to open the door. "I'll catchy you all later, hopefully." She turned to her friends. "Come on guys, let's go. I don't like being in the dark for very long, even if it is safe over here."

With that, Amu, Rima, Niki, and Tadase all waved to their new—and old—friends and left. Once they were on the sidewalk, Tadase took out his cellphone and called his father to pick them up. Soon, the four were going back to the hellish place Amu called home now. Amu was worried about what might happen once they got back, but was comforted by the thought that things might be coming to an end soon now that she had all this support.

* * *

**A/N: Yay back into hell for Amu! Hopefully, I can have Amu's old friends come back and save the dayy. **

**Anyways, I don't think there's much Japanese in this. Most of it you probably already know, but yeah, in case you forgot**

**Gomen: Sorry**

**Arigatou: Thanks**

**I probably could have used 'ja-ne' or 'matta-ne(sp?)' when Kukai said "See ya later, Hinamori", but I guess I was stupid and now I'm just too lazy to fix it now. But yeah, as you can probably tell, they both mean see you if you were curious. **


	13. Chapter 13

**A/N: OKAY SO THERE'S A REASON THIS TOOK ME SO LONG.**

**I HAVE TWO COMPUTERS, KAY? WELL BOTH ARE PIECES OF CRAP. BUT ONE OF THEM KEPT SHUTTING DOWN/BLUE SCREENING WHENEVER I WAS WRITING THIS CHAPTER. IT HAPPENED THREE TIMES! _THREE! _**

**But I managed to get on my other computer and had it work. I'm not totally pleased with this (especially the beginning), but I don't want to re-write it again. So here it is. Also, I suggest listening to VOODOO (not Voodoo Doll, just Voodoo), by VIXX during some of the parts of this to add a really creepy effect. You'll probably be able to figure out what parts when you read it. It's just a short intro song, but it's _really _creepy. So it makes the creepy parts of this story sound creepy.**

**(Hint: One part to play VOODOO is the dream Amu has.)**

* * *

**-Thirteen-**

Ever think about how someone can change their attitude and expression only after a single thought? A person could be laughing their head off one second, and then they think about something else and suddenly they feel like crying their eyes out. That was exactly how Amu felt when Tadase's father's car passed the city limits. Of course, she tried her best to hide it, but obviously, it didn't work. Everyone else in the car sensed Amu's change, too; they just didn't say anything about it, knowing the pink haired young lady would just deny it or say she was fine. It wasn't like they didn't know _why _she was like that. It was fairly obvious that it had something to do with Saaya.

Amu wasn't sure why it happened so abruptly, though. She had been perfectly fine _right _until they passed the welcome sign to their city. Now she just felt full of dread and sorrow. Perhaps it was just the pure thought that she was back in a place where Saaya, or even one of her 'minions', could be, waiting to make the killing strike on Amu. Whatever the reason for her sudden emotion change was, now she felt as if someone had just dropped a 50-pound rock on her shoulders and left it there for her to carry.

Finally, Tadase and Amu arrived at Tadase's house after dropping off Rima and Amu at their own houses. As soon as Amu stepped inside, she made her way to the living room and flopped on the couch lifelessly, deep in thought. She had a theory. A stupid one, sure, but it was still something to go off of.

Her theory was that Saaya wasn't actually the one trying to kill her; it was actually some other, possibly demonic, higher being. Some demonic being that, for some reason, wanted Amu dead. It wasn't the most comforting theory, but Amu figured maybe it was too soon to judge and say it's just Saaya doing such horrible things. Where would someone like Saaya find people who would kill Amu for her, anyways?

At least it wasn't as bad of a thought as the demonic being somehow being able to see Amu's every move. The demonic being could be watching Amu somehow and telling Saaya where she was, so Saaya could send one of _his _minions or henchmen out. Obviously, the demonic being wouldn't want to do the dirty work himself; he could have brainwashed Saaya to make her follow him and his ways.

With those thoughts on Amu's mind, when Tadase came to see if she was okay, she jumped slightly in surprise before quickly realizing it was Tadase. She almost felt mad at her boyfriend for scaring her like that, but knew he probably hadn't done it intentionally. She calmed herself down and Tadase had realised what he had done quickly.

"_Gomen_, Amu-chan!" he said. "Did I scare you? I didn't mean to, I swear! I just wanted to check how you were doing."

Amu managed a smile. "I'm fine, thank you. I think I just need to think and try to sleep. So, if you don't mind, I'll go take a shower, and maybe go to sleep."

Tadase nodded. "Alright, Amu-chan. If you need anything, call me."

Amu nodded and stood up to go to Tadase's bedroom to grab some clothing. Then she disappeared into the bathroom, closing and locking the door. An abrupt, horrible thought came to mind, however, as Amu looked at herself in the mirror. She thought about that movie where the girl was showering, and someone was trying to get into her house to kill her. What movie was that? _The Shining _or something?

She shook her head quickly. That couldn't happen. Firstly, Tadase would know and try to warn Amu. And those kinds of things only happened in movies and books, anyways…right? It wasn't like the moment someone turned on a shower they were deaf to any sound… With that thought in mind, she turned on the water and got undressed.

The warm water felt wonderful against Amu's bare skin (save for her cut, as it stung a little when the water landed on it). She felt like she could actually think straight for once, without having to be in a different city. However, that moment of calmness disappeared as quickly as it came, and she nearly screamed in horror.

Now, instead of warm water, a red, blood looking liquid was spilling from the shower head. It bathed everything in red, and Amu soon realized she knew this feeling—it felt like blood running down her body. That was also when she realized that wasn't just a 'blood looking liquid'. It actually _was_ blood. Again, she almost screamed in horror, but held back, not wanting to worry Tadase too much.

_This _can't _be happening! _Amu thought frantically. _There has to be some logical reason for this. _

Maybe she was just hallucinating. Yeah; that had to be it. She was just hallucinating. Thinking about Saaya probably caused such a thing to happen. Amu closed her eyes tightly, hoping that when she opened them again, everything would be fine. Thankfully, she was right, and when she opened her eyes again, it was water coming from the shower head again. She sighed in relief and finished up in the shower.

Several minutes later, as she was about to get changed, she noticed she had stupidly forgotten to bring in some pajamas. She groaned in annoyance and moved closer to the bathroom door to try and get Tadase's attention by knocking and calling his name. After a couple of moments, Amu heard Tadase's voice on the other side of the door.

"What is it, Amu-chan?" he asked. "Are you okay?"

"Yes, Tadase, I'm fine." Amu responded. "I just need to…ask you a favor."

"Don't tell me." Tadase said. "You forgot your pajamas, didn't you?"

"Uh...yeah…" Amu mumbled. "Can you go grab me some from your room, please? The bag should be by your bed."

"Of course I can, Amu-chan." Tadase replied. "I'll be back in a second."

"Just tell me when you've got them and put them by the door." Amu said. "I'll grab them when you leave."

"Gotcha." Tadase responded.

It went quiet and Amu assumed he went into his bedroom to grab Amu her pajamas. A few moments later, there was a soft knock on the door, probably to get Amu's attention again, and Tadase spoke again.

"I put your pajamas in front of the door." He said. "And I'll be going back into my bedroom to get changed, too."

"Okay, Tadase." Amu replied.

Once again, silence. Amu waited a minute or so before opening the door, just to leave Tadase enough time to get into his room. When she opened the bathroom door to grab the neatly folded in front of the doorway, she noticed something in the window across the way from the bathroom. It was only for a split second, but Amu was _sure _she wasn't seeing things. And she nearly screamed for a third time when it moved and disappeared. Quickly, she closed the door and got changed, and then ran into Tadase's room, closing the door and putting her back against it, breathlessly.

Tadase looked at Amu curiously. "Amu-chan…? What's the matter?"

Amu looked up at Tadase, still getting over what she had just seen. "I—I…I seen something…"

"What did you see?" Tadase asked, walking up to Amu. "And where did you see it?"

"I—I don't know…it was—it was like…a face…" Amu stammered. "I saw it when I was grabbing my pajamas from the bathroom. B-but it disappeared after a minute of staring at me…"

Tadase hugged Amu suddenly, surprising Amu for a second. "It's alright, Amu-chan. Whether you actually seen that or not, if you see it again, I'll be here for you."

Amu hugged back, relishing Tadase's warmth as the blond rubbed and patted her back comfortingly. She wondered if she should tell Tadase about the blood water episode that had happened only 10 minutes before. She already had to tell him about the creepy thing she had seen in the window, but that was her own fault really. She probably had no choice but to tell him about something that was even less probable of happening than the red eyed thing peeping at her through the window.

She pulled away slightly. "Uh…there's something else that I thought I would tell you, Tadase…"

Tadase looked at her. "What is it?"

"When I was showering…" Amu said slowly. "I—I swear…the water turned into blood for a while… I-it scared me a bit. But I just closed my eyes and it went away."

"Do you know if it was real or just your imagination?" Tadase asked.

"I—I figure it was my imagination…" Amu said. "Even though it felt pretty real..."

Tadase hugged Amu again. "Don't worry, sweetie. If you ever need anything, you know you can call me. I'll come to you no matter what."

Amu nodded against Tadase's shoulder. "I know. Thanks, Tadase."

Tadase pulled away and pecked Amu's lips. "Good. Well, it's getting late. We should sleep. Do you want to sleep on my bed?"

Amu, who was still slightly trying to get over Tadase's surprise kiss, hesitated momentarily before nodding slowly. "I—I think I'll feel…safer…"

Tadase smiled. "Alright, well, after you."

Amu moved to the side of the bed and got on it, making sure she was comfortable when she lied down, so her shoulder wasn't touching the bed. She sighed and felt the other side of the bed dip as Tadase also got comfortable, facing Amu. Normally, Amu would be embarrassed about sleeping in the same bed as Tadase, but she was scared out of her mind of what might creep into her dreams, and needed his comfort and warmth.

Tadase reached over and touched Amu's cheek gently. "Don't be afraid to wake me up if you need anything, okay, Amu-chan?"

Amu nodded and Tadase kissed her again. "Now, sleep, princess."

Amu closed her eyes, burning slightly in embarrassment, but calmed when she felt Tadase's warmth as he wrapped his arms around her. She heard him whisper a good night to her, then he went silent, and she fell into a deep sleep, her mind occupied with the events, yet being calmed at the same time by Tadase's closeness and warmth.

Still, she felt eyes staring at her. Even in the blackness with her eyes closed, she could see two red, glowing orbs staring at her. She clung to Tadase, who must have somehow sensed her fear, since he pulled her closer to him. The brooding feeling didn't go away, unfortunately, and Amu could almost _sense_ the nightmare that occurred.

_Amu was in a building, lost and running around, looking for an exit, but every time she found a door, it was locked or blocked by something. Suddenly, three shadow figures circled her and cornered her into a hallway. They grabbed her harshly and dragged her, screaming, back down the hallway and into a room where she was changed up and forced to the ground._

_One of the figures kicked Amu in the stomach, causing her to groan in pain and clutch her gut. She looked up as if to say 'Please, stop' but couldn't get the words out and earned a kick in the face instead. The shadow figures proceeded to kick and beat Amu up with various objects including sharp ones that they either left in her body, or pulled out brutally, leaving her bloody, bruised, and in great pain. _

_They left her sobbing, trying to bear the pain, but being unable to. Whenever she tried to move, it hurt to the point where it felt like her limbs were falling apart, or would fall apart if she moved too much. She was pretty sure most of her bones were either broken or fractured. Around her, her own blood pooled everywhere, and it was a wonder how she was even alive with the amount of blood she was staring at and crying into. _

_Time skipped, and once again, she was being dragged somewhere, still bloody and bruised, and full of gashes, cuts, and stab marks. It was to the point where Amu couldn't even watch, which was why the shadow figures were forced to drag her everywhere. Her clothing was practically nothing with all the holes in it. She was currently unconscious, but still moaning and groaning in pain every so often. _

_One of the shadow figures slapped her in the face to wake her up. They seemed to be in front of someone who was on a higher level of a hierarchy then them, because they bowed slightly, forcing Amu to do the same. Amu could see a large, dark figure with brooding red eyes, staring down at her almost lifeless body. _

_The large shadow figure spoke in some language Amu couldn't understand to the three other figures holding her. The three nodded and threw Amu towards the larger shadow figure carelessly. The large shadow figure picked her up and examined her almost exposed body. Then, the shadow being moved Amu closer to its apparent mouth area and Amu flailed and screamed loudly._

That was when Amu woke up with a start, breathing heavily. Her body hurt a lot. She felt all of her limbs to check if they were still intact and facing the right way. She sighed and sat up. Tadase was sound asleep next to her, but Amu was sure that he would wake up after realizing Amu was no longer lying down. She moved his hand, hoping it would make him wonder what had happened.

After another moment, Tadase's eyes opened, his arms automatically moving to see if Amu was still there. He looked up and seen Amu sitting up, her hair messy and covering her face. He sat up too, instinctively wrapping his arms around her comfortingly.

"Nightmare?" he asked, rubbing Amu's shoulders.

Amu turned around and leaned against Tadase's hug, crying and shaking slightly. Tadase took that as a yes and sighed, rubbing Amu's back, trying to calm her down. He wished he had some kind of way to keep Amu from having these nightmares because apparently holding her didn't help much. He ran his other hand through her hair and stayed silent, knowing Amu wouldn't want to talk about it yet.

"T-Tadase…" she stammered shakily. "I-it hurts…"

Tadase pulled away quickly and looked Amu over worriedly. "What hurts, Amu-chan?"

"Everything…" Amu wiped her eyes.

Tadase frowned. He hated seeing Amu like this. But what person _would _like seeing their girlfriend sobbing and in pain? But he didn't know what to do. His precious Amu was suffering, thanks to his own ex-girlfriend. He needed to end this. But…how could he do such a thing?

Tadase sighed and hugged Amu again, more tightly this time. "I'm so sorry, Amu-chan… I—I really don't know what to do…"

* * *

**A/N: No Japanese because I just wasn't in the mood to go through the effort of italicizing and writing Japanese words after all I've had to go through. But I hope you enjoyed this regardless.**

**Sorry for ending it weirdly. And if you _did _listen to VOODOO during the creepy parts (if you found the song), which were the blood coming from the shower, Amu seeing glowing red eyes outside the window, and the nightmare she had, tell me if the song made it creepier or not.  
**


	14. Chapter 14

**A/N: I'm so bad at updating frequently, aren't I? I've literally had this almost done for the past week, and only now remembered to finish it and post it. Oops. Just a fluffy chapter with a little...twist at the end (You're gonna have to read it to find out, mwahahaha).**

**But yeah, I kind of had fun writing this chapter (probably one of my longest ones). Also, Amu's outfit is something I threw together with random articles of clothing on my Wish list (if you don't know, Wish is like a site where you can buy and make wishlists with clothing you want). The hat was just something I found when I looked up 'red snapback' on google. It just so happened to be by a brand I know (thanks to kpop). Speaking of kpop, Tadase's outfit was based off of/copied from a photoshoot picture for VIXX-I just took N's outfit because I can't think of cool male clothing. u.u**

**ANYWAYS. I don't own SC! And all that. Enjoy this chapter loves~**

* * *

**-Fourteen-**

When Amu woke up again, despite not really knowing when she fell asleep in the first place, she was in Tadase's arms. She could feel the blond patted her back gently, so obviously, Tadase was awake. There was sunlight streaming into the room, meaning it was morning already. Had Tadase slept at all since Amu woke up from her nightmare? All Amu remembered was him apologizing for some reason. Maybe that was when she fell asleep.

She moved slightly, causing Tadase to stop and look at Amu. "Are you okay? You suddenly collapsed last night. I thought you had fainted or something."

Amu nodded. "I—I'm fine…I guess I just fell back asleep."

"What was that nightmare though?" Tadase asked. "You looked as if you were in pain…"

Amu shook her head. "I don't want to talk about it…"

She rubbed her arm nervously. Tadase nodded in understanding and kissed Amu's forehead. "Well, whatever it was, you're fine now. I'm here."

Amu blushed slightly and hastily moved to stand up, embarrassed. Tadase chuckled and followed suit. Amu looked back at Tadase, who just smiled and took her hand, intertwining their fingers together. He gestured for Amu to move forward as if an 'after you' motion. Amu nodded slightly and moved forwards, Tadase following along.

"Shall we eat out today?" Tadase asked as the couple entered the living room, knowing that his father woke up much earlier and was working at the school. "Or would you rather stay here?"

Amu bit her lip. It would probably be safer to stay home…but Amu and Tadase hadn't _actually _gone out on a date since all this happened. She pouted slightly, debating with herself internally. Tadase had laughed at Amu's pout, but Amu was too busy thinking to react to it. Eventually she sighed.

"I think it would be best to stay here…" she mumbled. "B-but if you want to go out…I—I don't mind..."

Tadase smiled. "Well, even if we did go out, and something happened, I would protect you. Because I love you and wouldn't want to lose you."

"I—I love you too, Tadase…" Amu said, smiling back.

Tadase grinned and squeezed Amu's hand. "Then it's set. We'll go out. And if anything happens to you, I promise I'll be there for you."

Amu nodded slowly. "I'll go get changed then…"

Tadase let go of Amu's hand. "Okay. I guess I should too. See you in a couple minutes, then."

Amu nodded for the third or fourth time that morning and turned back to grab some clothing from the bag she had brought with her essentials. After grabbing everything she needed, she went into the bathroom and closed and locked the door. Tadase went into his room, closing his room as well, just in case Amu finished before he did and came looking for him.

Several minutes later, after checking and fixing her hair, outfit, and any other thing that didn't look right, umpteen times, Amu stepped out of the bathroom. She was clad in red and black with a red strapless dress with a fake tie up front, a black bolero shrug, and black over the knee socks. On her feet was a pair of red and black creeper shoes she had completely forgotten she had brought with her, despite being her favorite shoes. Tadase had finished a couple minutes before but knew Amu would take a while and patiently waiting in the living room.

He wore a very bright and colorful outfit of pink and blue. The top was a teal-y blue with a pink collar and pink sleeves and over top of that he had on a light blue vest. His bottoms were light blue—lighter than the vest by a little, and his shoes were pink and black.

When Amu seen Tadase, she couldn't help but grin, as did Tadase when he seen Amu. Alost simultaneously, they said, "You look good." This caused them to laugh in amusement. Tadase offered Amu his arm, and Amu hooked her hand in the crook of Tadase's elbow.

"But really, you do look really pretty, Amu-chan." Tadase complimented as they left the house.

Amu blushed slightly and bit her lip. "Thank you, Tadase… Y-you look really handsome, yourself. Very…bright and colorful."

"Too bright and colorful…?" Tadase asked.

Amu shook her head quickly. "No, no. It suits you and your personality. You're always so bright and happy. Just like how this outfit looks."

Tadase beamed. "Well, thank you, then. I just…kind threw on whatever matched."

"Same here…" Amu mumbled, pulling on her shrug bolero with her free hand. "I forgot I even had these shoes…"

Tadase looked down at the creeper shoes on Amu's feet. "They're really cool. But…I'm a little annoyed because it makes you look taller than me."

Amu laughed. "Sorry. But it's not like you were much taller than me in the first place."

"I still feel short…" Tadase pouted slightly.

"It's okay." Amu said. "I'll take them off whenever you want to feel taller than me."

Tadase chuckled. "Okay, Amu-chan. I'll take your word for that then."

Amu laughed and nodded. Tadase smiled and they kept walking, talking or just staying in a comfortable silence. Amu didn't know where Tadase was taking her, but she trusted he knew where he was going. They stopped at a pleasant, yet quiet looking café in a place Amu didn't recognize. She looked at Tadase, slightly confused.

"We're here." He announced.

"Where exactly is _here_?" Amu asked curiously.

"Somewhere where no one will know or spot us." Tadase said. "I often came here when I wanted to get away from Saaya. She doesn't know where this place is."

Amu looked at Tadase. "So…does that mean we're safe…?"

Tadase nodded. "I'd hope so. But if not…there's a hat store a couple buildings down from here. Shall I go buy you one?"

Amu bit her lip. "I don't normally wear snapbacks…"

"I'm sure it'll look cute on you." Tadase said with a smile and wink. "It'll be a gift. Come on, let's go."

He grabbed Amu's hand and took her to the hat store to let her choose a nice snapback cap. Amu looked around in awe. Never had she seen so many hats. There were snapbacks, baseball caps, toques, beanies, fedoras. All kinds of hats, all around Amu. She had so many choices too.

"See anything you like?" Tadase asked. "You can pick anything you like. The snapback or ball cap will hopefully protect your identity. But besides that, I won't mind if you see something else you like."

Amu looked around. She felt bad for having Tadase buy something for her. She never really wore hats much anyways. Then again, she never really tried, either. It's better to start somewhere, right? She picked up a red and black plaid snapback, her obsession with plaid things getting the best of her. The brand was apparently called Supreme, because there was a black and white label on the front with the word 'Supreme' on it.

"That's nice looking." Tadase commented. "It suits your personality. You should try it on."

Amu examined the hat slightly, wondering if it would look good at her. Eventually, she nodded slightly and pulled the hat over her pink hair. Tadase's face broke into a grin as he moved Amu towards a mirror to look at herself. She tilted her head slightly and fixed the hat.

"I think you look cute, Amu-chan." Tadase said, helping Amu straighten it properly.

Amu blushed slightly. "I—I like it…"

Tadase smiled. "I do too. See; I told you you'd look good in a hat!"

Amu blushed again. "T-thank you…"

"Do you want it?" Tadase asked. "I'll get it for you. I did promise."

Amu nodded slowly, taking the hat off. "I think I can put a lot of use into this…"

"It might keep you from getting attacked." Tadase said. "As long as you keep your face hidden for the most part, maybe they won't realize it."

Amu nodded and looked at the hat again. She turned around to look at other hats, not realizing Tadase had moved off to grab something else. When she was picking up another hat, something was put on her head. She looked up in confusion, and then looked over to see Tadase with a wide grin on his face. Her hands moved up to her head and she felt another hat.

She looked at Tadase with a questioning look, but Tadase just continued grinning and pointed her in the direction of the mirror. She peeked in the mirror to see what Tadase had put on her head. On her head was a cute little black bowler hat with two round bumps on the top.

"Are…are these supposed to be…ears?" Amu touched the bumps on the hat.

Tadase nodded. "I think it's cute on you."

Amu flushed. "W-what isn't cute on me?"

"Everything is cute on you, in my eyes." Tadase said, taking the hat off of Amu's head. "Because _you're _cute. And by the way, I'm getting this for you."

Amu nodded slowly. "O-okay…"

"So we're set." Tadase said. "You can put the snapback on after we leave the store, and keep the eared hat for whenever you want."

Amu nodded for the umpteenth time. She and Tadase walked up to the cash register to pay for the hats. Amu wasn't sure how Tadase knew about a by one get one free event for a _hat _store, of all places, but it did explain why Tadase was completely okay with getting Amu two hats. They left the store and Tadase took the snapback hat out of the bag and carefully put it on Amu's head, moving some hair out of the way gently. Amu looked down in embarrassment.

"There we go." Tadase said, smiling at Amu. "And it matches with the outfit, too." He gave Amu the bag and took her hand in his. "Now, let's go get some food."

They went back to the café and found a place to sit. A question had been nagging on Amu's mind when Tadase mentioned wearing a hat to protect her identity. She just never had a chance to ask about it. She sighed and fixed her hat as she tried to think of a way to ask the question.

"Uh…" she said. "T-Tadase…?"

The brightly clothed blond looked at Amu. "Hmm? What is it, Amu-chan?"

"Even if I have this hat…" she started. "If someone in cohorts with Saaya sees you holding hands with me, or something…they're either going to think you're cheating on me, or know that it _is _me...so...even though, _I'm _hidden…you're still exposed and easily spotted… Wouldn't all this be for nothing then?"

Tadase nodded in understanding, not responding for several seconds. Finally, he said, "I have a hood. So if we're outside for a long period of time where Saaya's 'cohorts' might see us, I can just pull it up. It's big enough to cover my face if necessary."

Amu eyed Tadase for a minute. "You just came up with that on the spot, didn't you?"

Tadase chuckled. "How did you know? But…yes, you are correct… I realized the flaw in my plan after saying it. But I wanted to get you something that you wouldn't normally wear. So I stuck with the idea. But lucky, this hood _could _help."

"Well, okay…" Amu said. "I'll trust you, Tadase."

Tadase smiled. "Don't worry. Just choose what you want to eat."

The couple ordered their brunch and talked lightly about the previous day's trip and just really anything that came to mind at the time. Amu, still not used to a hat, kept talking it off, fixing her hair, and then putting the hat back on, which made Tadase laugh amusedly every time. Amu pouted after Tadase laughed for Amu didn't even know how many times now.

"Tadase…!" She complained. "Stop laughing when I fix my hair and hat. It gets hot wearing these…"

"Sorry, sorry." Tadase said. "It's just so adorable."

Amu pursed her lips. "Whatever you say, Tadase."

Tadase chuckled. "Okay, I'll stop then. You're done, right?"

"I guess so." Amu replied with a shrug. "It's not like I can't take these with me anyways."

"Shall we go for a walk then?" Tadase asked. "I promise to keep my hood up if you promise to keep your hat on."

"Okay." Amu said simply.

Tadase helped Amu up from the chair carefully and took her hand. He put the payment on the table under a cup and they left the café. Tadase immediately pulled up the hood if his vest when they got outside, so Amu pulled her hat down more. It felt weird having to hide, but…as long as it worked against Saaya and her people, Amu was happy. It was nice going out with Tadase, too. They hadn't gone out much since they had started dating thanks to Saaya, so Amu was sure Tadase was also happy.

They ended up in a park. It was a nice park. Trees and flowers graced the green grass beautifully. The air was nice too. Amu hadn't realized how nice the weather was until she was walking around in this park with Tadase. She looked around at all the people who had brought pets and small children and couldn't help but smile. Tadase, noticing the smile on Amu's face, also smiled.

He nudged Amu to get her attention. She looked over at Tadase, who pointed at an empty bench. "Let's sit down for a bit. I can get some ice cream or drinks if you want." Amu nodded and followed Tadase to the bench. He sat her down and squeezed her hand slightly. "I'll be right back. I'll only be a couple minutes, I swear. But if you see anyone suspicious, make sure they don't actually _see _your face. Got it?"

"Okay, Tadase…" Amu said.

Tadase smiled and left to find an ice cream booth. Amu looked down at her dress and played with her hat aimlessly. She noticed a small child trip over a rock and moved to help the kid, but realized it might get her caught somehow. The kid's parents came up to help him instead. Amu sighed and played with her hair.

Tadase came back a short while later with two drinks in hand, rather than ice cream, like he had originally went to go get. He handed one of the drinks to Amu and sat down. Amu looked from the cold cup of…juice(?) in her hand to Tadase.

"I couldn't find ice cream." Tadase explained. "And we already ate anyways. So I just got us drinks from the nearest stand. Just try it."

Amu shrugged and took the straw into her mouth. She was pleasantly surprised that it was iced _Mugicha_ tea. Even though it wasn't summer, it was warm enough to _be _summer. Tadase's looked more like a warmer drink, seeing as it had no straw and the cup was entirely different from hers.

"Is it okay?" Tadase asked curiously. "I wasn't sure what to get you. But I figured since it was kind of warm, you might want something to refresh you."

Amu nodded. "It's fine. I haven't had _Mugicha_ for a long time. It's nice."

Tadase smiled. "Good. I was afraid you wouldn't like it."

"When I first tried it, I didn't like it." Amu said. "But that was several years ago, when my late grandmother used to make it for us every time we visited. I've gotten used to it though."

"Well, if you didn't like it, I would have been willing to let you have my jasmine tea." Tadase said. "Or offered to buy you something else instead."

Amu shook her head. "If that happened, I would've rejected. You've spent a lot of money on me today. I'd feel bad for wasting your money and having you buy something else just to please me."

Tadase smiled and sipped from his cup of jasmine tea. Suddenly, he yawned slightly. Amu noticed this and remembered Tadase had been awake when Amu was, probably even up all night, just in case she had another nightmare. She sighed and touched Tadase's shoulder. Tadase looked over a little drowsily.

"Tadase, maybe you should rest here." Amu said. "You didn't sleep at all after I woke up from that nightmare, did you?"

Tadase laughed lowly. "You've got me down, don't you? No, no. I don't want to inconvenience you by taking up the entire bench."

"Well let's move then." Amu said. "There are plenty of trees here. Why don't we go to one of those? I doubt anyone will mind."

Tadase seemed like he wanted to say something, but reluctantly nodded after a second. They both stood up to find a nice shady tree to sit under. But as they moved, Amu had a sense of foreboding evil and ominousness all around her. She dismissed it and led Tadase to a tree that seemed like it had enough leaves to keep them out of the sun.

She sat down and Tadase followed suit. She didn't hesitate when Tadase asked if he could use her lap as a pillow, which made even her surprised. But it sounded a heck of a lot more comfortable than her shoulder or nothing at all. Tadase was the one who hesitated as he laid his head on Amu's lap.

"Are…are you sure you're okay with this, Amu-chan?" he asked. "I don't want to make you uncomfortable…"

"Just be careful." Amu said. "I'll be fine. It's not like other couples haven't done this before…"

Tadase sighed and nodded slightly. "Okay…well, wake me if you need anything…"

"I will." Amu said. "Now sleep."

"You sound like me…" Tadase said with a small chuckle, looking up at Amu. He yawned, which caused Amu to give him a look. "Okay, okay, I'm closing my eyes."

Amu smiled slightly and rested her hand on Tadase's shoulder. The foreboding sense of evil feeling arose around her again and she looked around vigilantly, slightly regretting letting Tadase nap. She didn't say anything, fearing Tadase would still be conscious and hear her. She just made sure she was aware of her surroundings and anyone who looked or acted suspicious.

Her vision scanned the area around them, and stopped on a shady looking male trying, and failing, to pretend he hadn't been eyeing Amu and Tadase. He looked strong and intimidating, though. Amu bit her lip nervously as the suspicious male stood up and started approaching Amu and the, hopefully yet at the same time not hopefully asleep by now, Tadase. Amu bit back a scream as the male withdrew a weapon.

Amu wasn't sure exactly when, but everyone in the park seemed to have left. Which might have explained why this man was approaching them now where it wouldn't be too obvious that he was out to kill. Amu wondered exactly how long this man had been watching them. For all they knew, he could have been following them the whole time, no matter how much the thought terrified Amu.

Unsure what to do, Amu just awaited her fate, hoping a miracle would happen and Tadase would wake up sensing trouble, or just someone coming to save her. While the chances of either of those happening seemed low to Amu, she wasn't entirely sure about much anyways. Someone could be hiding, waiting for the perfect chance to save Amu, and she wouldn't know at all because she couldn't physically see anyone. She looked down at Tadase and stroked his hair slightly.

"I'm sorry if I die…" she whispered silently as the weapon holding man stopped in front of Amu, preparing to strike.

Amu just closed her eyes, waiting for the killing blow. What good could she do to save herself anyways? Tadase needed the sleep, and she was just a girl who had been injured several times to the point of almost immobility. She could either accept her fate, or feel guilty about possibly getting Tadase hurt—or even dead—by waking him up to help her. She could almost hear her unfortunate death coming. But what she failed to hear (and see) was someone coming in between her and the unnerving, intimidating enemy.

* * *

**A/N: Well wasn't that just delightful? I was planning on just ending it off with the first sentence of the last paragraph, but thought it would add more suspense to add something else to it. I wonder who came in between Amu and the mysterious man. Ohohoho (it's obvious, isn't it?)**

**I'd like to point out I added a type of Japanese tea some of you might not know about (I didn't until I looked it up), so here's that:**

**Mugicha tea is a tea made from barely kernels which Japanese people enjoy drinking in the summer (or in this case, a hot day)**

**That's about it. I used a little but more..adverse vocabulary for the last several paragraphs lol. **

**Anywho, I hope you enjoyed and i'll post whenever I can.**

**Nowi'mgonnagetofmycomputerbeforeigetyelledat...**


	15. Chapter 15

**A/N: D-don't judge me for this chapter. It started off epic. But then I didn't know what to do OTL. I just wanted to make Ikuto seem nice and idk. I always be mean to him. So thought I'd make him do something nice. This chapter was crap. But...it might have some foreshadowing in it. c;**

**I'm sorry for this chapter. -hides in a corner-**

* * *

**-Fifteen-**

Amu was still afraid, even though apparently, nothing had happened. Her eyes were still closed, her hand somehow found its way to hold Tadase's hand. She opened an eye to see what was holding the offender up with harming her. The other eye opened when she noticed someone standing in front of her and Tadase, distracting the weapon-holding man. She stared up at the tall figure.

The lifesaver glanced back at Amu and gestured for her to go. She still couldn't tell who it was because he was wearing a hood. She looked down at Tadase nervously. The mysterious lifesaver propelled the 'enemy' into a streetlight so fast Amu barely even knew what happened. Then he approached Amu and Tadase and gently placed Tadase on his back and picked up Amu bridal style. Again, so fast Amu barely even realized what was happening until they were up in the air.

The hood had been blown off of the mysterious hero due to the wind, but Amu was too busy trying not to look down to notice. She was also worried about Tadase falling because he had been placed so haphazardly, and he was asleep, so he couldn't really hold on properly. They landed and Amu was put down Tadase was carefully set on the ground, where he shifted his position and rolled over.

Amu looked over, belatedly realizing who had saved them. The male smirked at Amu despite seemingly looking at Tadase with worry of him being uncomfortable or cold. He ran a hand through his dark hair as Amu just stared at him in shock.

"I—Ikuto…?!" she stammered eventually. "Wha—? H-how…?"

Ikuto ruffled Amu's hair. "I had a feeling something would happen. Be lucky I happened to be in the same park as you two or you'd be dead. You're welcome."

Amu rubbed her eyes as soon as she felt tears ready to fall. "I-I could have died… I—I couldn't do anything…so I just…"

Ikuto looked at Amu with a concerned expression and took a step forward. Amu looked down, rubbing her eyes every so often. He sighed, hoping that if Tadase woke up, he wouldn't misunderstand about what Ikuto was about to do. He collected Amu in his arms, trying to comfort her.

"It's okay, Amu." He said. "You don't have to worry about dying…"

Amu was a little shocked that Ikuto was actually _hugging _her, but for some reason, didn't mind and hugged back. It was different from the hugs Tadase gave her; Tadase's were warmer and more affectionate. Ikuto's hug felt…brotherly. It was…nice. Because it felt like she actually had a brother—an older brother.

"I won't let someone take your life just yet, Amu." Ikuto said, patting Amu's back awkwardly. Amu could tell he wasn't used to hugging or comforting people. "You still have a long way to go with your relationship with Tadase. And Lord knows how Tadase would react if you died because he let his guard down. He'd blame himself."

Amu pulled away to glance at the still sleeping Tadase, curled up on the hard concrete of the building. She glanced back at Ikuto, giving him a smile. "Thank you, Ikuto. I never thought I'd say this again, but you really are a life saver…"

"Anything for my little bro's girlfriend." Ikuto said. He winked slightly. "And my possible future sister-in-law."

Amu blushed at that comment, looking away. "W-what are you talking about? _Baka_…"

Ikuto laughed. "Why don't you go make your future husband comfortable? I'll watch just in case someone else is around out to get you. I promise to protect you. For Tadase's sake."

Amu smiled again. "Thanks again. I'd be glad to have you as a brother-in-law…providing we live long enough to get married…"

"I guess my new goal is to kick the butt of anyone who crosses your way." Ikuto said. "So you and Tadase can get married one day."

Amu blushed again and made her way to Tadase silently, secretly wondering what their wedding would be like if they actually _did _get married. Amu sat down next to Tadase and gently moved Tadase's head onto her lap again, smiling when he moved and grabbed her arm and hugged it like a pillow. She used her free hand to brush some hair out of his face.

She was grateful for Ikuto. He had saved her twice. Now he was promising to protect her so she can lead a healthy relationship with Tadase. Maybe Ikuto wasn't all that bad. He may look sly and conniving, but he was actually a kind, protective, older brother type figure.

Amu probably wouldn't be here if Ikuto hadn't have intervened and gotten the guy off her back by probably knocking him unconscious when he propelled him into that lamppost. She glanced at Ikuto and smiled. Tadase moved and Amu moved her gaze back to him.

"Amu-chan…?" he asked groggily, opening his eyes. He looked around. "Where…are we?"

"Ah…" Amu said. "About that…"

Tadase sat up and looked at Amu, apparently not noticing Ikuto yet. "Why are we on a roof? How did we even get _up _here?"

"Well…" Amu glanced at Ikuto, who was watching them now upon hearing Tadase's voice. "Why doesn't Ikuto explain…"

"I-Ikuto-niisan?" Tadase narrowed his eyes at Amu and looked at Ikuto. "Why is he…?"

"He saved us…" Amu said. "Not soon after you fell asleep, some guy came up to me with a weapon. I—I didn't want to wake you up…so I just…sat there…"

Tadase looked back at Amu with now wide eyes. "Y—you…willingly sat there…w-waiting for your death?"

Amu nodded slowly, looking down and fiddling with her fingers. Ikuto approached them and crouched in front of the couple. She felt bad. But…in her defense, what else could she do? Tadase had needed the rest. Amu was just a defenseless girl. She didn't say anything.

Tadase touched Amu's arm. "Amu-chan…why…?"

Amu bit her lip. "I—I…I had no choice! I wanted to let you sleep… You…you looked so peaceful and cute…I just…couldn't wake you up…"

Tadase sighed. He glanced at Ikuto, then quickly kissed Amu, not really caring that he was watching. Amu could have died. What else was he supposed to do in this situation? Ikuto got up and moved, respecting their privacy.

Amu was surprised at first, at the sudden action. With Ikuto around, she felt embarrassed. But Tadase kisses were something you couldn't just simply reject. They made her melt a little. She managed to kiss back slowly, relishing the feeling and taste of Tadase's lips. After a while, Tadase pulled away, taking Amu's face in his hand gently.

"Amu-chan, we were lucky this time." Tadase said. "But next time…you have to do something. I—I can't lose you. Ikuto-niisan can't be with us all the time."

Amu looked down guiltily. "I—I'm sorry Tadase…I ruined our date…"

Tadase's thumb stroked Amu's cheek. "At least I still got to kiss you. And at least you didn't die…"

"I don't hear a thank you to me." Ikuto called. "At least _Amu _told me she thought I'd be a good brother in law."

Amu blushed as Tadase eyed her with wide eyes. "Amu-chan…don't tell me you were actually thinking about—"

"N-no! Ikuto just brought it up…" Amu looked down at the red fabric of her dress. She kind of regretted saying that to Ikuto. "I just thought…that if we _did_…he would be nice to have as a brother in law…"

Tadase smiled and kissed Amu's cheek. "It's cute how you're thinking about our future, Amu-chan. Please don't ever stop, okay?"

"Okay, enough lovey-dovey stuff please." Ikuto commented. "It's gonna make me sick."

"You'd do the same if you had a girlfriend." Tadase pointed out, standing up and offering a hand down to Amu. "Everyone acts like this when they're in a relationship. It's just part of life."

Amu was pulled to her feet with that statement. Tadase squeezed her hand lightly. Ikuto joined them, eyeing them for a second before deciding. "You guys are seriously the most disgustingly cute couple I've ever seen. And that _is _a complement, by the way."

Tadase laughed. "Well…thanks? Now how do we get down."

"Same way we got up." Ikuto replied nonchalantly. "One of you gets on my back. The other settles for my arms."

"I swear to God, Ikuto—" Tadase said, about to get mad at Ikuto for carrying Amu bridal style.

"Would _you _rather be there instead?" Ikuto asked, giving Tadase a critical look. Tadase looked away. "I didn't think so."

"I swear if you do anything to her—" Tadase started, but again got cut off by Ikuto.

"You need to calm down, Tadase." Ikuto said. "I'm the one who practically suggested you two getting married someday. Amu's a sister to me."

Reluctantly, Tadase got on Ikuto's back without another word. He watched carefully as Ikuto effortlessly picked up Amu. He couldn't help but be jealous as Amu wrapped her arms around Ikuto's neck, but reminded himself that Amu was already pretty damn close to Tadase, too. Her hands were brushing against Tadase's neck occasionally, sending shivers down his spine.

"Hold on tight." Ikuto said.

"Are you sure you can do this…?" Tadase asked suddenly, realizing Ikuto was carrying over 100lbs of weight.

"Amu isn't heavy." Ikuto said. "And as long as you don't let go, I'm sure you'll be fine."

Tadase eyed Ikuto skeptically. Had he _really _brought Amu and him up here by carrying them? Either way, they didn't have a choice. There was no way back into the building from the room, and even if there were, it would be a little strange if three random young adults came out of the building. Not that jumping off the building was any more normal. Tadase sighed and closed his eyes, not really wanting to see what was about to happen.

Ikuto jumped, and to any onlooker, it would've seemed like a triple suicide. But Ikuto landed on something else (trees) before hoping down to the ground safely. Seriously, how strong was Ikuto? He must work out a lot to be able to carry the weight of two people.

Upon landing, Tadase sighed in relief and lay down on the ground, happy to be on it again. Amu giggled above him, Ikuto watched him with an amused smirk. He couldn't help being slightly afraid of heights… After a second, he got up and approached his taller 'brother'.

"I'd…like to say, uh…" Tadase stammered. "Thanks for saving Amu-chan's life…Ikuto-niisan…"

Ikuto laughed. "Of course. How could I just let her get killed before you two get married. I'd feel guilty. Amu is much better than the chick trying to kill her."

"I'm right here you know." Amu grumbled. "And would you stop talking about marriage? We're only sixteen for God's sake."

"You're saying that." Ikuto commented. "But you know you like the idea. Hell, you're probably already planning it in your head."

Amu punched Ikuto in the arm. "I hate you. You may have saved me, but I still hate you."

"Sure you do." Ikuto said. "What happened to you thinking I'd be a good brother in law?"

"I take it back." Amu said, crossing her arms. She looked at Tadase. "Tadase, can we go? I'm one second away from punching Ikuto in the face."

"I saved you!" Ikuto commented, but was ignored.

Tadase laughed. "Okay. Let's go plan our wedding then."

Amu groaned. "Tadasee. You're embarrassing me…"

Tadase smiled and kissed Amu's cheek. "You're so cute. Let's just go back to my place. If you're ready, we can pick up your stuff and you can go back to your house."

Amu nodded slightly and let Tadase drag her away from Ikuto. Amu was slightly nervous about going back to her house. But if she didn't and decided to pretty much _move in _with Tadase, her dad would probably hunt Tadase down and kill him. She'd have to be more careful at home. But at least she had people to help her out and keep her safe.

She wanted all of this to come to an end. But the only way that could happen was if she surrendered, or found Saaya and tried to settle it with conversation. Or, if that didn't work…maybe she'd have to fight or battle her. Later. If things came to that. Amu would have to see what happened, though. She sighed to herself as they entered Tadase's house.

* * *

**A/N: I only used the word Baka in this, which means idiot/stupid. **

**Idk why I made this a thing. This is what happens when I rush things for no reason and have no clue what I'm doing. -sob- What am I doing with my life? I hope you enjoyed this either way. The humor in this chapter sucks. I'm not funny at all OTL.**


	16. Chapter 16

**A/N: I finally finished this. I think we'll be getting to the climax (finally) soon. It's gonna be epic and all that. **

**Or...I plan it to be epic. Possibly longer chapters. Lots of drama. Yeh.**

**Anyways. Enjoy this~ Amu's nightmares are getting worsee. **

* * *

**-Sixteen-**

The following day, Amu felt like she wanted to cry. She found herself regretting allowing Tadase to take her back home the previous day. At least Tadase could somewhat get rid of her nightmares. She didn't want to wake up her family though, so when she woke up, she just curled up into a ball and cried slightly. It was far too late to call Tadase for comfort; she had to deal with it alone.

She walked downstairs the next morning, the underside of her eyes dark and slightly puffy from crying. She knew she looked terrible—she probably looked like someone who was chronically depressed and an insomniac. Which was probably exactly how she would turn out soon enough; too afraid to sleep, and when she does sleep, depressed after she woke up.

"Amu-chan?" Midori called, question in her voice. "Honey, what's wrong?"

Amu looked up, watching tiredly as her mother walked into the living room to meet her. She shook her head. "I'm fine, Mama. I guess I just didn't sleep well…"

"You should fix yourself up before you head to school, Amu-chan, dear." Midori said worriedly, touching Amu's face. "How will your friends and classmates react seeing you this way?"

Amu hesitated, not one for wearing make-up, even if it's just to cover up something she doesn't want people to see. Midori noticed this and managed a smile. "Do you want me to do it for you? It's only foundation."

Several minutes later, Amu and Midori came back out of the bathroom and Amu looked completely normal. Too bad she didn't _feel _any more normal. She still wished she could go back to sleep. She sighed. Maybe seeing Tadase could make her feel slightly better.

"Mama, I'm not very hungry." She mumbled. "I think I'll just leave now and meet up with Tadase..."

"Are you sure, dear?" Midori asked. "If you don't eat something, you won't have the energy to get through the day until lunch."

Amu shrugged. "I'm sure I'll live." _Hopefully_

"Well, okay…" Midori looked at her daughter worriedly. "Well, be careful and have fun at school."

"I will, Mama." Amu said, slipping her shoes on at the door. "I'm leaving."

With that, Amu went out the door and looked around cautiously. She sighed and shoved her hands in her blazer pocket and started walking to the meeting spot she and Tadase had decided months ago. She knew it would be a while being Tadase would get there, so she walked as slowly as possible while still being on guard just in case she had to run or hide.

"You're here early." Tadase's voice scared Amu slightly. She belatedly realized she had already made it to their meeting spot.

"Oh…uh…" Amu mumbled. "I—I woke up early…so I left early too…"

Tadase eyed Amu curiously for a second. "Did you sleep well?"

Amu bit her lip, but managed a nod. "Yeah…I guess."

Tadase tilted his head and stepped closer to Amu. "You had a nightmare, didn't you?"

Amu looked down. Suddenly, Tadase hugged her, which lifted up her mood slightly. She hugged back, resting her head against Tadase's shoulder. Tadase patted Amu's back lightly, muttering soft encouraging and comforting words into her ears. Amu smiled slightly and hugged Tadase tighter.

"Thank you, Tadase." Amu said, pulling away. "You made me feel less crappy."

Tadase chuckled. "You're never crappy in my eyes, Amu-chan. But I'm glad I could help. Shall we go then?"

Amu nodded and let Tadase take her hand in his and intertwine their fingers. They smiled at each other and started walking. Normally, Amu would hate couples who acted like this in public. But now that she was in a relationship, she kind of understood how nice it was.

They arrived at the school, greeted by some of their other friends—Nagihiko, Rima, and Niki. Rima had gotten a lot nicer to Amu recently, despite being a little cold still. She seemed a little possessive too, sometimes, but Amu didn't mind. She seemed to be around Nagihiko a lot for some reason, though. Or maybe it was the other way around.

"Good morning, Amu-chan." Nagihiko said with a friendly smile. "Good morning, Tadase-kun."

"Morning." Tadase and Amu said almost simultaneously.

Niki smirked. "Well, well. You guys really _are _a couple, aren't you?"

Amu flushed. "Shut up…"

Tadase laughed and squeezed Amu's hand lightly. "Let's just go. Class should be starting soon."

The five teenagers parted ways with waves and 'see you's. Then class proceeded as usual. Amu was tired—she wanted to sleep. But she'd get in trouble if she did. Maybe she could pretend to be sick and nap in the infirmary. But then Tadase would get worried. She sighed and looked out the window, struggling to not fall asleep.

It felt like forever when the lunch bell finally rang. Amu stood up quickly and made her way to her locker to grab her lunch. She thought about the first day she met Tadase as she watched her boyfriend smile at her and open his own locker, which was only two lockers down from hers. Never had she thought such an attractive man would become her boyfriend. Never had she thought she had to go through all of this chaos.

"Amu-chan?" Tadase's voice shook her from her thoughts. "Are you ready? Why are you just staring at me?"

Amu blinked at moved her gaze to look at Tadase's now concerned looking eyes. "Huh? Sorry…I was thinking."

"Thinking about what?" Tadase inquired. "Me?"

Amu nodded slowly. "I—I was thinking about when we first met… Three months ago."

"Wow. It's only been three month?" Tadase commented. "It feels like longer."

Amu laughed. "I guess being in a relationship does that."

Tadase smiled. "So, where would you like to eat lunch, my dear?"

Amu blushed slightly. "I don't mind…anywhere is good."

Tadase put an arm around Amu's shoulders. "Well, let's go to the roof then. It's nice up there."

Amu nodded and let Tadase take her up to the roof, which had a pretty nice view of the grounds. In all honesty, Amu liked being on roofs. Ironically, she was also slightly afraid of heights. She and Tadase sat down against the wall and opened up their lunches.

"So, care to tell me about that nightmare?" Tadase asked. "Or would you rather keep them all bottled up inside you?"

Amu bit her lip. "I don't really want to talk about them…but thanks for trying to help me… It really means a lot…"

Tadase rubbed Amu's shoulder. "It's okay. Sometimes nightmares are hard to talk about. Because they're so scary."

Amu nodded. She yawned slightly. Tadase looked over at her, brushing some hair out of her face in the process to examine her properly. Amu bit her lip again. Tadase could probably tell by now that she was tired. She sighed as Tadase opened his mouth to speak. She knew exactly what he was going to say.

"Did you sleep at all last night?" he asked. "You've been yawning all day…"

"Uh…" Amu looked down at her still untouched food. "I…the nightmare…didn't want it to happen again…"

"So you just stayed up all night after that nightmare?" Tadase inquired, staring a hole through the side of Amu's head with worry.

"I…I guess you could say that…" Amu mumbled, poking her sushi roll with a chopstick to occupy herself.

She should probably eat…but…she didn't have much of an appetite anymore. She sighed and put the chopsticks down. Despite knowing Tadase would protest and complain, she closed her bento box and put it back in her bag, licking her lips nervously. Her eyes glued to the cement, she just sat still. She wanted to cry again. She wanted this to all end. But crying would wipe off the foundation, and she already knew it would be a while before everything just…stopped.

"Amu-chan…?" Tadase looked at Amu with a concerned expression. "What's wrong?"

Amu shook her head. "_Daijoubu_…"

Tadase sighed and wrapped his arms around her, enveloping her in a comforting embrace. Amu buried her face into Tadase's chest. She didn't want to say anything. Tadase didn't make her say anything. They just stayed in their embrace for the longest time, Tadase patting and rubbing Amu's back, Amu trying to keep herself from crying.

"Don't be afraid, Amu-chan…" Tadase whispered. "And don't take all of this on your own. I'm here for you. If you need me, I'll come running. If someone even dares touch you again, I'll never forgive them. Even if you get kidnapped, I will do _anything _to find you."

That didn't make Amu feel much better. Because most of her nightmares involved getting kidnapped or being in some kind of isolated area with various methods of torture. But Tadase was trying to help her, and that was all that matters. She sighed against Tadase's shoulder and noticed him tighten his grip lightly. Amu wished Tadase would never let her go. At least then she'd feel safer. But alas, the bell rang and they had to part.

Tadase pulled away slightly, but not enough to completely break the embrace yet. He looked at Amu and gently kissed her lips. "Just call me next time something happens, okay? Even if it's two in the morning, I'll talk to you, even sneak into your house if I have to, just to help you fall asleep without having nightmares throughout the night."

Amu blushed and nodded. "_Arigatou_, Tadase…"

"I love you." Tadase whispered.

"I—I love you too, Tadase…" Amu stammered, still not used to saying those three simple words.

Tadase smiled and let Amu go. He stood up and offered his hand down to her. "We'd better get going before we're late for class."

Amu nodded and let Tadase pull her to her feet. They walked back into the school and went back to the classes. Amu was still dead tired, but she felt a little bit better after being around Tadase. School ended and Amu was about ready to collapse after not eating at all and having a lack of sleep. She tried to keep herself upright, but she was getting more and more dizzy. If it weren't for Tadase finding her outside the school leaning against the wall, she probably would have collapsed right on the hard concrete. She still collapsed—but Tadase had been lucky enough to catch her.

"A-Amu-chan…?!" Tadase called, shaking her slightly. "Amu…chan?"

When there was no response, Tadase sighed and carefully got her onto his back. He knew she should've eaten something—with no sleep or anything in her stomach, it's no wonder she fainted. Recently, Tadase wished it would be possible for Amu to just…move in with him. So he could keep an eye on her and be there for her at all times. Of course, that would be absurd because they were only sixteen. He sighed and hefted her higher onto his back and made his way back to his own house.

* * *

**A/N: So yeaaah. Like I said, the climax is ****nigh(?). Hopefully. Unless I decide to drag it out longer because I do that sometimes for no reason.**

**The only Japanese is stuff you guys should know by now. But I'll put it anyways.**

**Daijoubu: I'm okay/it's okay**

**Arigatou: Thanks.**

**I hope you enjoyed this chapter~ I'll post the next ASAP. Bye-bye~ -waves-**


	17. Chapter 17

**A/N: So, it has come to my attention that it's been a year since I finished Love vs. Jealousy (as in, a year since I posted the last chapter). So, in homage to that, since the last chapter of Love vs. Jealousy is where they get together, I decided to do a little 'anniversary' chapter.**

**The beginning seems pretty intense. But it'll get better, trust me. ^^ The beginning was when I was just writing random things and Tadase's feelings and stuff. But then I read a review on Love vs. Jealousy that it's been a year since I posted the last chapter. So I just added a sweet little thing. SO ye. **

**Still trying to find a good opportunity for this to hit its climax. I know what to do _for _the climax. I just don't know when to do it.**

**(also, sorry. I don't even know myself if I ever mentioned how low Amu and Tadase had been dating. But since obvious, in this a year didn't pass, I just made it a month)**

* * *

**-Seventeen-**

Tadase carefully placed a cool towel on Amu's forehead and brushed some hair out of her face carefully. She'd been asleep (or unconscious) for an hour now. Tadase was getting worried. She needed her nutrients which was why she fell unconscious, and while she was currently getting rest as well, Tadase felt the nutrients were much more important. He sighed and restlessly moved around, standing up to pace occasionally. It was so nerve-racking having Amu in such a state because Tadase didn't know what to do.

Of course, he _could_ make her something to eat with every nutrient she might need. But what if she doesn't want to eat anything? Or worse, _can'_t eat anything without it coming back up? He bit his lip, frustrated at his inability of doing something to help Amu. How can he be there for her if Saaya finds a way to take her if he can't even figure out how to take care of Amu when she's lacking proper nutrients? There's no telling how weak Amu might be. Or maybe all she needed was rest.

Tadase ran a hand through his blond locks and stood up for the umpteenth time. This time, he left his bedroom to get a glass of water for Amu, whenever she wakes up, and a cup of tea for him (because let's be honest, tea is such a calming drink, and that's what Tadase needed at that moment.) The house was eerily quiet. He and Amu were the only people in the house currently, but with Amu asleep, the house was dead silent. Tadase didn't like it; it was—to put it as a paradox—deafening.

He turned on the tap to full a glass and teakettle with water, as well as just for the sound, and grabbed a random teabag from a random box from a cupboard above his head and a mug hanging from underneath that cupboard and walked around idly, occasionally (read: constantly) passing his room to check on Amu's condition and if she was awake.

The teakettle whistled, signalling it was finished boiling. Tadase went to stop it and poured the burning hot water into his mug. At least there were some small sounds now, since he was moving around and doing things. He dunked his teabag into the water and moved to the fridge to get some ice for Amu's water. Most of what he was doing now was just to have some sort of noise buzzing through his ears. The sound of the fridge opening; the rustling he made as he tried to quickly grab the ice before his hand got too cold; the sound of the ice hitting the water, cracking and clinking against each other and the glass.

Then he heard something else. A quiet groan coming from his bedroom. He quickly made his way to his bedroom, completely forgetting about the ice, which should have been put back in the fridge but was instead left on the counter, where it would most likely melt, while his tea went cold, and the cup of water overflowed as the ice melted too. But Amu was more important than any of that to Tadase.

He stopped a little outside of his room and slowed down, as to not make it look like he was in a hurry. Peeking through the door, he watched Amu's eyes flutter open tiredly. She rubbed her eyes and tried to sit up. That was when Tadase stepped in as hurriedly (yet casual) as possible and prevented her from doing so.

"Wait," he said. "Don't move too quickly. You could get dizzy."

Amu blinked at Tadase. "Tadase…? What happened? My head hurts…"

"You fainted due to exhaustion," Tadase explained. "After school. You've been out for over an hour now. Do you need anything? I have some migraine medicine or pain killers."

Amu shook her head, slightly weakly, much to Tadase's worry. "Water. Just water is fine."

Tadase nodded, suddenly remembering the things he left in the kitchen. "I'll be right back, then."

He stood up and made his way to the kitchen. He picked up the cup of water, put away the ice (which had indeed started melting), and also took his mug of tea. Then he returned to his room and place the water (and tea) on the table next to his bed. He helped Amu sit up slowly and gave the glace to her.

"Can you hold it?" he asked. "You seem pretty weak…"

Amu nodded. "I'm fine, Tadase."

Tadase sighed and let go of the glass, watching Amu carefully. Maybe he was over exaggerating. But he cared about Amu. And he didn't like seeing her hurt, let alone weak. Unless Amu was completely okay and Tadase knew it for a fact, he'd always be worried. That was only common knowledge, right?

"Are you hungry?" Tadase asked. "You haven't eaten all day, I presume."

"Maybe just a little…" Amu mumbled. Tadase noticed how shaky Amu's hands were and resisted trying to help her.

"Anything in particular?" He inquired.

Amu shrugged. "Just…food. I'm sure you'll think of something."

That made Tadase chuckle slightly. He patted Amu's free hand. "I'll be right back…again."

Amu cracked a smile as Tadase stood up. "Take your time. I can wait."

Tadase nodded his head and left the room, once again to go into the kitchen. He opened the fridge again to look for something that Amu might like and will benefit her. He spotted some fruit and decided it would be best to make a fruit salad, since a lot of the fruits he had were full of vitamins and other good things that will hopefully up Amu's energy.

He made the fruit salad and brought it back to Amu, the medley of colorful fruits tickling his nose pleasantly with their fragrances. Amu seemed happy about the fruit salad and took it eagerly. Tadase smiled slightly. At least her mood had brightened.

"Thanks, Tadase," she uttered before eating the food. "I'll enjoy it."

Tadase smiled brighter. "You're welcome, Amu-chan. Take your time. I've already called your mother. She doesn't mind."

"Mama never minds," Amu commented. "But Papa on the other hand…."

"Your mother said she'd think of something," Tadase said. "But if you want to, I can take you home now."

Amu shrugged. "I don't care. In all honesty, it's probably safer for me to stay here until all this blows over. Unfortunately, it would take a really big lie to get Papa okay with that. Plus, I'm sure even Mama would get worried at some point."

"Just stay one more night," Tadase said. "I'm sure your mother won't mind. And your father can just deal with it."

Amu laughed. "Okay, fine… But what about pajamas?"

"Why don't you call your mother and get her to bring you some?" Tadase suggested. "At least then you wouldn't have to leave the house."

Amu nodded. She reached into the pocket of her blazer to grab her phone, but realized it wasn't there. "Tadase. Did you move my phone?"

Tadase looked over. "Hmm? Oh, yeah. Its battery was low, so I was charging it for you. I assume you want it?"

"You wanted me to call Mama," Amu pointed out. "I can't just shout it to her."

"Right," Tadase laughed at his stupidity. "Sorry. I'll go grab it for you."

Somehow, Amu's mother had agreed to let Amu stay over at Tadase's again (her father on the other hand, was screaming and crying about his baby bird flying away), and did bring her some pajamas. The thought of staying at Tadase's again calmed Amu's nerves. Despite still having nightmares, even with him around, at least when she woke up, she would have someone to comfort her instead of just waking up in a cold sweat alone with no one to hug or cry to.

She felt much better than she had in the morning, too. Probably because of Tadase. Sometimes, she wondered what country she saved in her past life to receive such good care by someone. What had she done to get such an amazing boyfriend like Tadase? Whatever it was, she thanked her past-life self. At least she knew Tadase would always be there for her.

Still…she had an eerie feeling that she was being watched by someone. She tried to dismiss it, but it never seemed to be able to go away. She sighed to herself as she watched Tadase work on some homework, unable to do her own homework because she hadn't been paying much attention in school at all. She had been trying to keep herself upright most of the time.

Tadase looked over at Amu with a slight smile. "You seem bored, Amu-chan."

Amu shrugged. "Just mulling over not paying attention in class... I don't know how I'm going to explain to Nikaido-sensei why I didn't do my homework."

"Just tell him you hadn't felt well but were too embarrassed to ask to leave," Tadase said. "He has a soft spot for people who get sick."

Amu tilted her head but said nothing in response. Tadase went back to doing his homework after another second of watching Amu curiously. Amu sighed and stared at the ceiling, absentmindedly playing with the hem of her brown/yellow plaid uniform skirt.

Tadase glanced over at Amu, who didn't seem to be paying too much attention to her surroundings. He smiled and stood up quickly and quietly, hoping she wouldn't noticed (and even if she did, he could easily just say 'I just need to go to the bathroom quickly.') Tadase had been planning for a week for this moment. He hadn't even realized it _until _a week ago, but he still felt it was special. He smiled to himself as he opened the back storage room quietly and pulled out a bag and grabbed a bouquet of roses from Tsukasa's office (luckily, Tadase's father had graciously allowed Tadase to hide the flowers in there in a vase so they wouldn't wilt.)

When Tadase peeked back into his bedroom, he noticed Amu was still staring up at the ceiling either not concerned about Tadase's leave, or still not realizing he had left. He laughed slightly and stepped back in, quietly hiding the bag next to his wooden desk and the roses behind his back. He cleared his throat.

"Hey, Amu-chan?" he called. "I have a surprise for you."

Amu sat up and looked at Tadase confusedly. "Surprise? What do you mean?"

Tadase smiled and held out the roses. "Happy 1-month anniversary, Amu-chan!"

Amu stared at Tadase, still slightly confused, but also embarrassed, and touched. She hadn't even realized it was that time already. Her face burned as Tadase walked up to her and handed her the roses. She didn't know what to say.

"Ta—Tadase…." She mumbled. "I—I…thank you…"

"Wait," Tadase said. "There's still another gift."

"Oh…Tadase, you—you didn't have to…" Amu said. "I-it's not like I remembered…"

Tadase smiled and kissed Amu's forehead. "I don't care if you didn't remember. Because I don't need anything from you. As long as you're still here."

Amu flushed. How was Tadase _so _romantic? She sighed. Tadase really was the perfect man, wasn't he? She watched Tadase go reach behind his desk and come out with a fair sized bag. It made Amu curious about what he could have gotten her that needed such a bag. She had figured maybe a ring or a necklace, since as far as she knew (from animes and dramas) guys normally give their girlfriend one of those two on their one-month anniversary. But the bag was _way _too big to just be for a necklace or a ring.

Tadase gave Amu the bag and Amu peeked inside curiously. Of course, she only seen magenta and white tissue paper. Tadase laughed at her curiosity and urged her to take out the tissue paper and look inside. Amu slowly took out the tissue paper and gasped in surprise.

"Oh…my God…" she uttered in complete shock.

"I don't know if the dress is your style…" Tadase admitted. "But I saw it, and for some reason, thought of you. Maybe it's because of your hair…"

"You…you got me a whole outfit…?" Amu asked slowly as she examined the other contents of the bag.

Tadase smiled knowingly. "Don't worry. There was a massive sale on all the items. I couldn't help myself…"

"Thank you, Tadase…" Amu said. "This really means a lot to me. But I feel really bad for having you get all of this and have nothing to give in return."

"Why don't you take it all out to get a better look?" Tadase suggested. "Or, even better, try it all on."

Amu looked at the contents again. She managed a nod and rose to her feet. Before leaving, she swiftly kissed Tadase on the lips and whispered another thank you. Tadase beamed and squeezed Amu's hand as she passed. Then, she disappeared and went into the bathroom.

The dress was gorgeous. Long and flowy, white fabric, with a cherry blossom type pattern gracing it all the way down. Amu almost felt like it was too beautiful for someone like her to wear. The fabric felt smooth against her skin as she slipped it over her body. Then suddenly, it was almost as if she were staring at someone else in the mirror (save the cut on her shoulder that was still struggling to heal).

Even with just this dress, Amu would have been fine. But there were a pair of shoes, and even accessories. She sighed. Tadase did way too much for her. But…she kind of liked it. She wasn't one to ask for things. Sometimes, Tadase just gave things to her just because he loved her.

The shoes were cute, as well. Tadase must have had a lot of help picking all of this out. If he had done it all by himself, then, wow, he was good at picking out clothing, even for women. The shoes were pink, probably to match the cherry blossom pattern on the dress. They had fur insides, so if Amu ever wanted to, she could wear them in the winter with something. Although it might be complicated because of the wedged heel. (At least she could be taller than Tadase wearing them.)

By the time she hit the accessories she wonder how much was discounted off everything. Because, damn, everything looked so high quality. Was it like some blowout 90% sale or something, Amu wondered? Nevertheless, she looked over the necklace. It was just as pretty as everything else.

Amu had always liked the way pearls looked. So she really loved the necklace, which was a three tiered pearl necklace with an even larger pearl in the middle. It matched really well with the dress, too. She tried not to touch it too much as she put it on (with difficulty because moving her arm the way she was currently doing added a lot of strain to her shoulder—maybe she should have just let Tadase put on the necklace…), but it was just too gorgeous. Tadase treated her so well. She almost felt jealous of the girl in the mirror before realizing it _was _her.

The last item in the bag was just a simple hair accessory. A pretty little flower crown with pink and white flowers. Probably the cheapest (yet one of the prettiest) items in the bag. Amu still couldn't believe that _this _was her. And everything she was wearing was _hers_. She pulled her hair out of its half-side pony and slipped the flower crown on her head.

"Wow…" she uttered under her breath, taking everything in. "Is this really me…?"

If Amu had a twin with the opposite personality as her, she figured that this was what she would look like. Obviously the outfit was too fancy to wear casually all together. Although that was probably why Tadase had bought it in the first place as an outfit. Amu bit her lip as she looked herself over again. She wasn't sure why, but she felt…embarrassed to show Tadase the outfit.

Finally, she worked up the nerve to leave the bathroom and (very, _very _slowly) approach Tadase's bedroom again. She fiddled with the folds of the skirt of the dress nervously and peeked into Tadase's room. Tadase looked over just at the right time (or maybe he just heard Amu's shoes) and grinned from ear to ear.

"Amu-chan, you look gorgeous!" Tadase said, standing up to meet Amu in the doorway.

Amu blushed. "T-thanks…"

"Oh," Tadse suddenly seemed to realize something. "I forgot about something."

"Don't tell me it's another gift." It was more like a statement rather than a question.

Tadase laughed. "Yes. But I didn't buy it. Utau-chan left it here ages ago. But when I tried to give it back, she said she didn't want it. I didn't want to throw it out though, because it would be a waste. I was going to try to give it back to her again the next time I saw her, but I'm sure she won't mind you having it instead. It matches perfectly with your dress."

"Well, what is it?" Amu inquired.

"It's a nice straw hat." Tadase said.

"What's the point of this then?" Amu took of the flower crown.

Tadase shrugged and chuckled. "You don't have to wear the hat today. I just figured it would match."

"So…I take it we're going out then?" Amu questioned. "Judging by the fact that you have me all dressed up."

"Your choice," Tadase said. "We already had a date yesterday. I didn't really intent for the outfit to be fancy. I just thought the items would look good on you. But if you want a romantic dinner, I can do that."

Amu looked down. "I—I don't mind…"

Tadase grinned. "Great. Why don't you wait in the dining room then? I'll start cooking."

* * *

**A/N: It amuses me with how long the paragraphs are the first like 700 words, but then slowly they start getting smaller at some points. The power of (excessive) describing. **

**Anyways. I didn't use any Japanese in this, I don't think. But yeah. Enjoy~ (ignore the ending. I didn't want to drag it out, so you can imagine how the romantic dinner went and all that)**


	18. Chapter 18

**A/N: Okay. So this is where things start to ramp up. I won't say exactly what. You have to find that out.**

**I swear, the next chapter will be more epic. Maybe some violence or disturbing things. Idk. I'll see what my brain comes up with.**

**It's a kind of short chapter. But I didn't want to give _too _much information just yet (although I originally did have more. But I didn't like it. So i got rid of it.)**

* * *

**-Chapter 18-**

It had been a week and Amu hadn't had any other strange encounters. Her nightmares were getting less and less disturbing and creepy. Amu wondered if Saaya had just given up. Or maybe this was all just a plot to get Amu to walk around the streets alone. As much as Amu wished it was the former, it was probably the latter. Which made Amu even _more _afraid to walk around alone.

"Amu-chan, dear!" Midori called. "Could you go run me an errand?"

Of course Amu's mother would want her to go out and run an errand for her. Right when Amu was about to mentally tell herself that if she wanted to go out and do something, bring someone else with her. But Midori didn't know that Amu was in danger. Of course not; she'd _never _let Amu out if she found out she was being hunted. Hell, her mother didn't even know about the huge gash on her shoulder.

Amu sighed and made her way down the stairs to meet her mother and ask her what she wanted. She considered calling Tadase or Niki to ask if they wanted to go with her, but…part of her wanted to see if maybe Saaya actually _had _given up on trying to get her…killed apparently. She rounded the corner and stopped at the stairwell to look at Midori, who was reading a magazine (probably studying the articles so she could come up with a better one for a later issue of that magazine.)

"What is it you wanted me to do, Mama?" Amu asked.

Midori looked up. "It would be nice if you could go to the grocery store and get some things for me."

"Alright," Amu said. "What are these 'things'?"

Midori gave Amu a piece of paper. "Here's the list. I have to write an article, so I can't do it myself. Sorry for making you do this, honey."

Amu smiled. "It's okay, Mama. I don't mind."

Midori smiled back. "Thanks, dear. Be careful out there, okay?"

Amu nodded and stuffed the list in her pocket. "I'm leaving, then."

"Take your time." Midori called as Amu walked into their mudroom and put her shoes on. "Dinner isn't for a little while."

Amu left the house and sighed. She crossed her fingers nothing would happen. But that didn't guarantee anything. Somehow, she knew something bad was going to happen soon. Maybe it would happen today, maybe tomorrow, maybe even next week. But something was going to happen. Amu could sense it.

The trek to the grocery store was one full of paranoia. Amu was being extra careful; looking around every five minutes, making sure she didn't look too vulnerable as she walked, etc. It was times like these where Amu really wished she had taken self defense or martial arts. At least then she wouldn't be useless and weak. She'd be able to finish off Saaya's 'goons' so easily.

She entered the grocery, not really expecting to see Nagihiko working there. She smiled, having an excuse to be around someone else for at least a short time. She pretended not to notice the long haired male at first and took care of the first couple things on the list. Nagihiko noticed her while she was going through the produce.

"Amu-chan?" he questioned. "What are you doing here?"

Amu looked over. "Oh, Nagi-kun! I didn't know you worked here! Mama sent me out to get groceries for her."

"Well why don't I help you?" Nagihiko suggested. "And we can talk."

Amu smiled. "Sure."

Nagihiko followed Amu around the small grocery store, asking questions about what exactly she was looking for, as well as just casual, friendly questions like how she's doing, and how hers and Tadase's relationships was going. Amu felt comforted slightly, walking around with a friend who might be able to help her if something came up.

Unfortunately, they finished getting everything within 15 minutes or so, despite their chatting. Nagihiko checked out her groceries and sent Amu off with a friendly smile, and a quick 'see you tomorrow!' Amu was back to being alone. And now she felt even more paranoid. She had this…feeling. A foreboding, ominous feeling of being watched. She definitely wouldn't be seeing Nagihiko or anyone else tomorrow.

Two hours later, and Amu still wasn't back from the grocery story. Midori was starting to wonder what had taken her daughter so long to get 10 measly items. Did she get side tracked by a friend or something? It was possible. But Amu could have at least called. Midori was getting worried, and she's rarely worried about what Amu does because she knows her daughter is responsible.

After another thirty minutes, Midori got fed up and tried to call Amu. She didn't pick up. Now Midori was _really _worried. Where could that child be? Could she have come across that Tadase lad she was dating? Midori considered it and figured that would be her best bet. She found Tadase's phone number after realizing Amu had left her phone at home and called him.

"_Hello?_" A voice said from the other line.

"You're Tadase-kun, correct?" Midori questioned.

"_Yes. I presume you're…Amu-chan's mother?_" Tadase responded.

"You're correct there, sir." Midori said. "Have you seen her at all today? Amu-chan, I mean."

"_Amu-chan…?_" Tadase sounded confused. _"Nope. Not yet. Why…? What's the matter? Is she hurt or something?_"

Midori bit her lip. "Well…I sent her out around…two and a half hours ago. But she hasn't come back yet…"

"_Well, where did you send her?_" Tadase asked.

"Just to the grocery store near our house…" Midori replied. "And it wasn't like the list I gave her was _that _long."

"_I think I know someone who works at that grocery store._" Tadase said. "_I'll go ask him and get back to you, okay, Hinamori-san?_"

"Okay…" If Amu's father found out about this, he go crazy… "Please hurry though. Her father comes home from work in an hour. If he finds out Amu-chan is missing…"

"_She's _not _missing, Hinamori-san._" Tadase insisted. "_Don't worry. I'll find her._"

"Thank you, Tadase-kun." Midori said quietly. "You're a really good kid. I'm glad my Amu-chan has someone like you as her boyfriend."

"_Of course, Hinamori-san._" Tadase responded. "_I'll call you back when I get some information. Thanks for telling me._"

"Bye…" Midori said. She hung up the phone and sighed.

She really hoped that Amu was okay and not missing, like Tadase had said. She didn't want her little girl to be missing. Of course, Ami was even littler than Amu, but Ami was currently at a school camp, so Midori only had Amu until Ami came back. She sighed again and went to her room to think properly.

Tadase nearly dropped his phone when he heard Amu's mother say she hadn't come back from an errand. As soon as he hung up the phone, he threw on a light jacket and whatever shoes he could put on the fastest. Then he ran out of the house straight to the grocery store Nagihiko worked at, presuming that was the place Amu had been at.

He caught Nagihiko just in time. The long haired teenager, as well as most of the other employees and customers seemed surprised when Tadase burst into the grocery store, panting. Nagihiko walked up to Tadase curiously, eyeing the shorter blond as he tried to catch his breath. He waited until he stopped panting to talk.

"Hotori-kun?" Nagihiko asked. "What…what's the rush?"

"D-did Amu-chan come through here?" Tadase managed to ask in response.

"Yes. But that was long ago." Nagihiko responded. "What's wrong?"

Tadase sighed. "I figured it was like this…" he muttered.

Nagihiko sighed. "I was just leaving. Why don't we talk about this at my place?"

Tadase sat on his knees restlessly as Nagihiko made them tea. He was supposed to get this all figured out quickly. Nagihiko wasn't making it easy for him. He sighed. Maybe he should call Amu's mother back and tell her that one of his friends had seen Amu when she was leaving the store.

Nagihiko came back into the room with a tray of tea and snacks. He sat down across from Tadase and offered the tea to the blond. He took his own cup and said, "Now, please explain to me what's going on? Why were you asking about Amu-chan?"

Tadase sighed. "Her mother called me 10 minutes ago asking me if I had seen her. But I said no and asked why she was asking. She said Amu-chan hadn't come home yet."

"So…what are you saying?" Nagihiko inquired.

"I'm saying, Amu-chan might have been kidnapped." Tadase responded seriously. "By the people who have been after her for the past month."

* * *

**A/N: Oooo. I told you something you happen. Again, sorry this chapter is shorter than most of my recent ones. I had more, and was going to end it off with Amu waking up somewhere and stuff, but I didn't like it. So that'll be next chapter. Hopefully. Haha**

**But anyways, I hope you enjoy!**

**Until next chapter~ bye byee. 3**


	19. Chapter 19

**A/N: So uh, remember when I said the next chapter would be longer and more epic? Yeah I kinda lied. **

**I didn't know what to do. So I kinda just wrote whatever my mind told me to. But...at least it's not utter shit. **

**Kinda.**

**It's really short, I know. ;-; I could've added more. But I felt like Amu's outburst was good for an ending. So yeah. Sorry for the language. That's one of the reasons why it's rated T. (to be fair, the farthest I can go when it comes to swearing is bitch and bastard, so yeah. Won't be seeing many F bombs unless I deem necessary.)**

* * *

**-Chapter Nineteen-**

Amu opened her eyes. It was dark. Not pitch black dark, but gloomy dark. Everything hurt. Especially her head. She looked around carefully. She was in the corner of a _very _small room. She belatedly realized her arms were tied behind her back with some rope that really chafed against her skin if she moved her hands around too much.

Where was she? Obviously, she had been kidnapped, but where had she been taken? Amu considered calling out, but feared that might get her hurt or worse, killed. She sighed. She couldn't just accept being kidnapped…but what else could she do? She was scared to death…and _of _death. At some point, she started crying; sobbing into her knees (since her hands were still tied.)

After some time (Amu wasn't quite sure. Maybe an hour or two?), the door was shoved open and two shadows appeared in the doorway. She couldn't properly see them because obviously this room was much darker than outside of it, and she was currently being blinded by the light from outside. They looked at Amu for a while, and she had a feeling they were debating killing her or not. After a minute or so, they turned to each other.

"She seems to be awake. What should we do?" one asked.

"Let's go see Master and ask." The other responded. "Master will tell us what to do to her."

The first one nodded and the two lumbered out of the room (unfortunately) closing the door behind them. Amu sighed, part of her mind cursing herself for not trying to escape when the door _was _open. But in her defense, even if she had tried to escape, she'd probably get hurt for it. She wasn't a very good heroine, was she?

She fell asleep wondering what Tadase must be doing right now. Maybe he realized Amu was missing and was looking for her. What about her mother? Her mother was probably worried sick. And her father was probably going crazy by now. They wouldn't know a thing if she just…died. They would only know that she had been gone for probably several hours now. Or maybe they were already planning her funeral…

Tadase really needed to find Amu. For himself, and for her family. So his first step was to confront Saaya. He didn't want to, but you have to do what you have to save your girlfriend, right? Even if it's having to deal with your _ex_-girlfriend. He sighed as he stood in front of Saaya's house. Somewhere he hadn't been to in…a while. He reluctantly knocked on the door.

Of course, Saaya opened the door, with a shocked (yet pleased) expression on her face. "Tadase? What are you doing here?"

"I'm not here for you." Tadase said.

"Aw." Tadase couldn't tell if that was mock-disappointment or not. "Well, why don't you come inside?"

Tadase shook her head. "No thanks. I just need to ask you something."

"Are you sure? It would be _much _more comfortable inside my house." Saaya said.

"No, Saaya." Tadase replied flatly. "I just really need to know about Amu-chan."

"What about her?" Saaya questioned. "Are you asking _me _why she's such a bi—?"

"Saaya, don't even dare." Tadase said. "At least she's respectful to others, even if they're rude to her."

Saaya crossed her arms. "Well, what do you want from me then? I don't give a shit about your little 'Amu-chan'."

Tadase sighed. "Don't pretend you don't know she got kidnapped."

Saaya narrowed her eyes at Tadase. "What are you talking about…? I only sent people to attack her…" she seemed to realize what she just said and giggled awkwardly. "I—I mean whaat? I would never do that!"

"We already figured out it was _you _who sent out those people." Tadase said, crossing his arms as well, almost as if imitating Saaya. "It's pretty obvious. Now, _where is Amu_?"

"I don't know." Saaya said. "Like I said, I didn't hire them to kidnap or kill her. I'm not _that _mean."

"You almost _killed _her, though." Tadase responded. "One of your 'minions' almost chopped her entire arm off."

"Oops?" Saaya offered.

Tadase sighed in exasperation. "Just tell me where she might be."

Saaya seemed to hesitate. "Okay. I'll give you my best bet. On one condition."

"Saaya." Tadase was getting angry and annoyed. "Tell me on _no _condition. I'm not in the mood. I have Amu's family to think about. Her father isn't exactly the calmest father in the world when it comes to his daughter."

"Can't you just…?"

"No, Saaya. Just _tell me_."

Saaya laughed almost manically. "You really think it's _that _easy? You really mustn't know how any of this works."

"You _are _in on this, aren't you?" Tadase asked. "Saaya, I swear to freaking God, if you don't tell me, I will despise you forever."

"You'll have to figure it out yourself." Saaya commented. "The only thing I'm saying it it's abandoned. Good luck."

With that, Saaya closed the door. Tadase groaned and walked off, annoyed. This was why he didn't want to go to Saaya. Since she was behind all this, she obviously wouldn't help. An abandoned building…? How many buildings in this city were abandoned? Tadase sighed. It was getting too late to go around looking for Amu today.

He should call Amu's mother and tell her he'll keep looking for Amu. He opened the door to his house and slammed it shut in annoyance and slight anger. His father was probably home by now and wondering what was wrong with him, but he didn't particularly care.

"Tadase?" Tsukasa called. "Is that you…?"

"Yes, father." Tadase called back. "Just a little mad I guess. I'm fine. I'm just going to go into my room…"

With that, Tadase went into his room and moved to his bed slowly, feeling a little down. He pulled out his cellphone and looked at Amu's mother's phone number in contemplation. How could he tell her Amu went missing? He sighed, hoping she would understand and just went to sleep, thinking about Amu and hoping she was okay.

The next time Amu woke up, she was in a different room. Slightly larger than her previous room, and her arms weren't tied this time. The only problem was, her ankle was weighted down by one of those metal balls on a chain. She would cry if she hadn't already drained all her tears hours earlier. Speaking of hours, how long had Amu even been here by now? What time was it even? She sighed and curled back up into a ball, with much difficulty and noise because of the chains.

"I hate you so damned much, Yamabuki Saaya." Amu uttered into her knees bitterly. "You're such a crazy bitch… This is all your fault. I hate you; I hate you. _I hate you_!"

* * *

**A/N: Amu's either gone crazy, or just finally had the guts to call Saaya for what she is. But yeah. I deemed that a decent enough ending, despite this being a really short chapter...one of these days, I'll make a long epic chapter. I just...don't want to hurt Amu yet (or at all really... /shot)**

**Anyways, I hope you enjoyed this despite it's shortness. Stay tuned for the next chapter. ^^**


	20. Chapter 20

**A/N: The chapter 20 milestone has been hit! Though nothing special. xD There's both lots of, and lack of description of things, both on purpose. (I think reading Shakespeare has made me think more about purposeful descriptive, or lack of...)**

**On a random topic before we start the chapter, we're reading Macbeth in ELA and the CD player we were listening to for the audio thingy kept going all...creepy satanic ritual type language (skipping to the point where the words didn't even sound English), and it was almost as if we had been cursed by the Macbeth curse. It turned out it was just scratched and dirty, because after the teacher cleaned it, it worked fine.**

**Anywho, back on topic of Tadamu, here's the next chapter! I hope you enjoyed my short little (pointless) story about Macbeth, and I also hope you enjoy this short (yet better than the previous) chapter. **

* * *

**-Chapter Twenty-**

The third time Amu woke up—it was probably the next day or something—it wasn't a natural wake-up. Every so often, she felt a stinging pain in her sides and ribs. And someone was shouting at her. Amu didn't want to open her eyes, fearing what she might see. This was almost how one of her nightmares went.

Reluctantly, she opened her eyes, when the shouting (and possible kicking/hitting) got too annoying and hard to bare. She looked up, wincing slightly as the pain in her side increased with her movement. A large (in both height and weight) male was standing over her with an intense glare on his face was staring down at Amu, almost seeming like he was waiting to get another pot-shot on her.

"Get up." He said. "If you don't, you'll get hit. I don't care. But you probably will."

Amu groaned as she tried to stand up. Her ribs hurt; her head still hurt. And she had a feeling that if she stayed here any longer, there would be a _lot _more body-parts that hurt and/or become broken. Speaking of which, where was Tadase when Amu needed him most? Hopefully, he was searching everywhere to find her. Amu sighed. She belatedly realized the chain was gone, but had a feeling that where ever she would be taken would have some kind of worse way to hold her.

She didn't like this. Not one bit. She wanted to run while she had the chance. But part of her was telling her it would just get her more injured than she already was. She debated with herself, but eventually, the rebellious side of her won and she tried to wiggle her wrist out from the large man's large, strong hands. This drew his attention to her, and she almost immediately regretted doing that, crying out in pain as the man's grip on her wrist tightened and twisted her arm in a direction that didn't seem very normal. The sight of it made her feel dizzy. Then, she crumpled to the ground in a painful and almost broken mess of ripped clothing, slightly bruised skin, and dirty, messy bubble-gum pink hair. That was when she knew she was in for a lot more pain.

. . .

It had been a couple days since Amu was kidnapped. Tadase had looked for three hours every day for an abandoned building that might be holding his precious Amu. He hoped she was okay. At the least, not dead. There was no doubt she would be tortured in there. That's what Saaya wanted in the first place—for her to be severely injured, probably to make her look less attractive. But that wasn't even why Tadase loved Amu (of course, it had been _part _of why he started liking Amu. But besides that, Tadase had just been intrigued by her personality).

Still, Tadase was worried sick. Amu had been through a lot. And now she was probably being beat up every day. Tadase just hoped she was staying strong and that she believed that Tadase would be there for her, even if it took a month. He'd definitely call help, eventually. But only when he deemed necessary. He didn't want to worry too many people so soon. So instead, he just looked around alone, hoping that whatever abandoned building Amu was in had a window in the room Amu had been put in. Or at least had any signs of human activity in it.

So far, Tadase had only found two abandoned buildings, neither of which had Amu in it. He had searched through every nook and cranny of the buildings, of course, only after he figured out ways to get into them without getting caught or being called suspicious. He never thought he'd be trespassing abandoned buildings in his life. But…for Amu, he'd do anything. Even if it meant risking getting caught or in trouble.

He was on another daily round around the city, looking for any buildings that had 'No Trespassing' signs on or near them—that was usually a sign that they were abandoned—when he spotted a building he'd never seen before, even when shopping with his father. The neighbourhood was also unfamiliar. Everything just had an ominous feeling too it. Tadase was almost afraid to approach…anything.

Regardless of his hesitant feelings, he pushed forwards, just to look around quietly. It was fairly dark—obviously better for snooping and sneaking than in broad daylight. If this _was _the building Amu was in, she was probably sleeping in one of the rooms, perhaps on the floor. Or perhaps the people keeping her didn't allow her to sleep. Tadase wasn't sure, but he really hoped it was the former and not the latter.

The building was pure concrete. Cracks appeared here and there, and there was what looked to be moss growing from it somehow. The concrete was stained probably will mud and whatever else things were—metaphorically and literally—thrown at it. Overall, it was very…creepy looking.

Suddenly, Tadase heard a scream of pain coming from somewhere. He turned quickly and looked for the source of the sound. It sounded like Amu. He had to find where it came from before he had to go back home for the day. Part of him wished she would scream again, just so he could find her. But that would mean her getting hurt again, so he quickly pushed the thought out of his mind and focused back on finding Amu.

Amu had tried to run again. She got her consequences, again, as well. They were worse than the last time; to the point where she screamed in agony when it happened. By now, she was sure her left arm and some of her ribs were broken. Could she even be fixed, if she _were _saved? Sometimes, she thought she was used to the torture and pain. But every time it happened, the pain just got worse and worse.

She clutched her torso in pain as she was thrown back into her room, landing on the floor with another groan of pain. She wiped her eyes; tears she hadn't even realized nor remembered shedding. When would this end? _Would _it end? Amu sighed and noisily (everything hurt too much to move very far; the men had to practically carry her to make her move) made her way to the corner of the dark and gloomy room.

At least this room had a window, albeit a very dirty one. She could know the approximate time now, at the very least. She gazed out the grimy window; it was late and she couldn't see much but the shadows of the grass and the dim light from a nearby lamppost. Then, something passed the window. They looked like legs and feet. Amu jumped back to her feet (very painfully) and lightly knocked on the window to see if she could get the persons attention. There was a possibility that they could help her somehow.

At first, there was nothing. She knocked a little bit harder, hoping that no one inside the building could hear it but her. Her other hand subconsciously crossed their fingers, hoping and praying that the person that had passed only seconds before, heard the sound and went back to see what it was. Only several minutes (and knocks) later, did someone come.

Tadase's brain was on overdrive now. He had just been about to leave to go back to his house when he thought he heard a sound. Thinking it was his imagination at first, he dismissed it. But the sound continued for several minutes. As if it was trying to get someone's attention. Tadase turned back around and narrowed his eyes, looking at the building curiously.

_Thud, thud, thud_. There was the sound again. It was quick and hurried. Almost urgent. Where was it coming from, though? Tadase surveyed the building again. Glass. It sounded like knocking on glass. Tadase quickly ran closer to the building again and knelt down to look at the windows from the basement.

"Amu…?" he called out quietly into each window.

Suddenly, in one window, he spotted a figure. He slowly approached it and knocked on it lightly to see if he got a response. The knocking was returned and he peered into the grimy glass to see if he could identify the person as Amu. He was met with golden-brown orbs staring into his own crimson orbs with surprise and shock.

* * *

**A/N: Ohhh. Tadase found someone~ (-cough-it'sobviousit'sAmu-cough-). I'll leave something up to you to decide:**

**-More torture and more disturbing descriptions OF the torture**

**-More torture, but not much description of the torture at all.**

**And no, I can't just _not _torture Amu while she's kidnapped. That just wouldn't make sense, especially for Saaya's standards. **

**(Amu appears out of nowhere, looking annoyed and says, "Oi! You're the author! Can't you just hurry up and have someone save me?"_  
_**

**Amu, shush, you're not supposed to be here. The torture makes it more epic. Now go back to being imprisoned.)**

**^ Sorry, I had to do that. Anyways, I hope you enjoy. Comment/Review if you'd like. ^^ Give me those answers (even though I'm pretty sure I can guess what they'll be.)**

**I might wait longer to post/write the next chapter, just to see how many responses I can get on the question, though. So please just wait patiently if I do take longer than a week or two. ^^**


	21. Chapter 21

**A/N: Hey look, a long chapter. Been a while since that's happened. Idk if I can call it epic. But it is very saucy. (Blame my ELA teacher for that phrase) I don't even know what saucy means. xD But I'm sticking with it. Because it sounds funny. **

**Anywho. This chapter is pretty...emotional. (Trust me, I almost cried writing it. But maybe that also has to do with my slightly depressed friend whom I'm talking to who just won't stop being sad no matter what I do.)**

* * *

**-Chapter Twenty-One-**

It had been a couple days since Tadase had found where Amu was. He'd check in on her every night through that grimy, dirt covered window, constantly considering at least cleaning the side _he _was on. Sometimes, Amu was aware of him, other times, Tadase tried to make sure she didn't, just in case something bad happened because of it. They couldn't talk much because of the window, and also fear of being heard, but just being able to see Tadase seemed to brighten up Amu's mood, despite how she looked.

Tadase had brought a pen and pad with him on the third day. Today, Amu looked especially beat up and broken that night, but as soon as she spotted Tadase at the window, she smiled slightly. She noticed something in Tadase's hands and tilted her head in question. Tadase held the pen and pad up for Amu to see, and wrote something on it.

'So I can talk to you.' Then he added. 'All you have to do is nod or shake your head.'

Amu smiled again, then seemed to wince. Tadase sighed slightly, eyeing Amu worriedly. He considered writing if she was okay, but figured she would just lie and nod her head in response, even though it was clear that she wasn't okay. Instead, he turned the page and started writing something else.

He turned the pad for Amu to see. It read, 'I'm going to talk to all of our friends.' Amu tilted her head, slightly confused and mouthed out, 'why?' Tadase turned the pad back to add something else. Amu grinned brightly when she read what he had added.

'We're going to get you out of here as soon as possible.'

Amu got caught looking out the window for Tadase on the fourth day. Tadase wasn't there yet, but Amu had been waiting for him to come. Then those men barged in and caught her. Her punishment was brutal. It hurt a lot. She fought, but just ended up getting more hurt. Typical. She was already bruised enough, yet they still insisted to bruise her more. She was already broken enough, yet, they continued to break her even more.

Sometimes, Amu wondered how she was still sane enough to try to fight back after a week or so of being abused and tortured. Maybe it was just because of Tadase. She fought back and took all the pain because she knew Tadase would be there for her. And her friends too.

With one final hit, blood dribbled out of her mouth and the men threw her back into her room, causing the blood to spatter out in a string and land on the floor and wall. Her head nearly hit the hard concrete. She groaned, not wanting to move from her spot. Everything hurt too much. She didn't even care to move to wipe the blood off her mouth. She stared up at the ceiling, feeling half dead. She groaned and rolled over ever so slowly.

A tap on the window caused Amu to look up quickly. She groaned again and rolled over, slowly attempting to get up onto her feet. She stumbled slightly, grabbing the wall. Concerned, crimson eyes with a spark of blond hair appeared in the window. Amu self-consciously wondered if Tadase had seen or heard anything that had went on just outside her room with the door open. She bit her lip (gaining the unpleasant taste of blood in the process) and forced a smile, despite her appearance.

Tadase had arrived earlier than usual. He wanted to…watch Amu—if that didn't sound creepy. Even though it was complicated because the window was small and dirty, sometimes, if Amu was far enough in the room, or standing close enough to the window, Tadase could see a shock of (now mauve-ish from dirt and dust) pink hair. This time, though, what he seen was disturbing. He had moved slightly, as to not be seen, but still watched in horror as his precious Amu got beat for about 2 minutes, relentlessly.

He didn't know why he didn't look away. He wanted to, but he just…couldn't bare look away, fearing something worse might happen to him if he even looked away for a second. He watched, hit after hit; kick after kick, even a little jab here and there by a small dagger or knife. Tadase felt really bad watching this, but…at least he understood what happened to Amu now, and why she always looked worse and worse every day he seen her.

Amu disappeared onto the floor, thrown, and didn't reappear into Tadase's peripheral vision until several minutes later when he had (accidentally, he swore) tapped on the window when trying to stand up, not wanting to see anymore. She stumbled slightly. Her lips were red; blood was dripping down her chin. If Amu weren't Tadase's girlfriend, he would've pitied her. But all he felt at that, staring at Amu, broken and severely beaten, was utmost concern, worry, and loathing towards the people who have been doing that to her.

Tadase noticed Amu force a smile; her teeth were also stained with red. It was disgusting, but Tadase still couldn't bring himself to hate such a face. All he wanted to do was grab her and hold her close. Comfort her and tell her everything would be okay. Alas, he couldn't. As much as he yearned to hug her again; kiss her again…there was no way until he got her out of this hellhole.

He gestured for her to wipe her face, knowing it would kill him inside to watch Amu with blood on her face for another hour. It was also a gesture that asked if she was okay, to which Amu understood, but just shook her head. Tadase wasn't sure if it was a no to his unspoken question, or if she was just brushing it aside as if it didn't matter. Both Tadase didn't want to think about. He sighed, touching the glass slightly.

Amu seemed to understand and placed her own bruised, fragile hand on the glass, despite the dust and grime that would probably come out on her hands later. Amu seemed to mouth something, which Tadase had barely understood. But he did, and it caused him to smile sadly.

'_I miss you_.'

'_I miss you, too…_' he mouthed back, using his free hand to kiss his hand and send it in Amu's direction. He noticed the tears form. But he never said anything; he was also fighting back tears.

"_WHAT!?_" everyone on student council exclaimed in shock.

"What…what do you mean, Amu has been kidnapped?" Rima, who had just started to grow attached to the pink haired teenager.

"I mean exactly that." Tadase responded. He was tired, but tried to seem serious and alert. "Saaya did it. No doubt."

He waited for it to sink in to everyone's heads. His tiredness was weighing him down slightly, and it was obvious to everyone that _something _was wrong. Ever since Amu had gone missing, Tadase couldn't sleep, and just lost interest in making an effort to looking good. Still, for the sake of his friends, he tried to act like he was just tired from homework. He even made up a lie that Amu was really sick and wouldn't be coming to school for a while.

But it had been getting to the point where everyone was saying that they should visit her. ("Why do _you _get to see Amu but not us?" was what Rima said.) A week had already gone by. So the excuse was starting to get obvious. So, he figured it would be best to tell everyone about what had _actually _happened.

"I thought you said she was sick…" Ran mumbled.

"I did…" Tadase admitted. "But I lied. I couldn't tell you guys yet—you'd get too worried. But…now I really need your guys' help. I'll be calling Amu's old friends tomorrow. We'll come up with a plan tonight at my place, and I'll relay the plan to them tomorrow."

"You say all this as if you know what you're doing." Miki said in an indifferent voice that she never seemed to lose no matter how she actually felt. "There's a long process in saving a princess from a castle."

"I do know what I'm doing." Tadase responded, ignoring Miki's metaphor with the princess and castle. "That's another reason why I withheld telling you guys. I wanted to do some exploring first."

"So…you—you found her?" Niki asked, finally saying something after being silent for so long.

Tadase nodded. "I've known where she was for a little while now. I'll see if I can find her later tonight after we're done discussing how we're going to do this. She told me she was afraid she'd get moved to a different room soon, though."

"How did you guys talk…?" Nagihiko questioned.

"There's a window. And we talk through mouthing or pen and pad." Tadase replied. "Or gestures. Yesterday, she got caught looking out the window for me. She's afraid they'll move her to a windowless room."

"How do you know she got caught?" Rima asked. "Is she that good at gesturing and signing?"

Tadase looked down. He couldn't sleep at all the previous night because of what he had witnessed that evening. He sighed and curled his hands into fists slightly. "Because I watched it happen. I watched her get hurt because of me… I had just come a little early to check on her…but she was anticipating my arrival…and they hit her. And kicked her…"

Tadase fought back the tears. A silence fell over everyone as they took everything in, imagining what Tadase had seen and understanding his pain. And Amu's pain, too. Tadase sobered himself up enough to end the student council meeting and tell them all to meet at his house at 6. Then they all went away with sombre expressions and comforting hugs.

Amu spent most of her days crying now. The level of abuse had increased to the point where they would stick needles into her that caused painful convulsions in her skin, and even slash her occasionally. If this was what Hell was like, she never wanted to go back. If she even got to leave. She just really wanted Tadase to get her out of here.

She was surprised those men didn't force her to move rooms after catching Amu looking out the window for Tadase. But at the same time, she was grateful because then she could still see Tadase. Plus, for some reason, they were even nice enough to open up the window a smidge to give Amu some air. (Or maybe it was just because the room started to smell and they couldn't stand having to constantly visit a vulgar smelling room, which totally wasn't Amu's fault.)

She was anticipating Tadase's return. Yet at the same time, she was afraid they'd both get caught. And she was already ugly enough by now. How could Tadase stand to see her in such a condition? Even _she _didn't want to see what she looked like (which is why she was glad this building had no shiny surface.) Yet Tadase still kept coming back, every day, to see Amu. Amu wasn't sure if that was dedication to his love or just…pity for her.

She appreciated Tadase's company. But she felt like there was no point in him doing so; she was a lost cause by now. She was practically a mutant by now. She sighed and leaned her head against the wall. Everything hurt. She wasn't sure how much longer she could keep this up…

"I'm sorry, Tadase…" she whispered into the air.

* * *

**A/N: Ohohoho. The suspense. **

**I'm sorry. I suck at suspense. But I tried. I haven't used much Japanese recently. Maybe I just just stop all together. With writing kpop fanfics without Korean shit (besides words like 'yah' or honorifics), I guess I grew out of using Japanese in my fics. I hope y'all don't mind that. **

**Anywho, until next time~**


	22. Chapter 22

**A/N: I apologize for the shortness of this chapter. But I think what's in this chapter makes up for it completely. And because of that, I felt like I didn't need to add anymore stuff. I at least tried to exceed 1k words, which I did. So we're good. I don't know why, but writing this chapter was nice.**

**Also, starting next chapter, I think I'll only be putting author's notes on the bottom of my chapters like I do with my K-Pop fanfics. (and for this chapter, there will be no authors note at the end)**

**I hope you enjoy this chapter, my lovely readers. **

**Until next time~ 3**

* * *

**-Chapter Twenty-Two-**

To make up for the fact that he couldn't stay long with Amu the previous night, Tadase decided to show up an hour earlier that night. It was colder than normal soon. Tadase sighed, wondering if Amu was okay or not. Probably not, but hopefully she was at least warm. He threw his scarf around his neck and set out silently.

Up until then, Tadase always said he had been out studying with friends whenever his father asked him why he'd come back so late. Soon, Tadase knew his father would catch on and realize he's not studying. But until that happened, he'd stick with that lie and come up with another in the meantime.

It was a long walk to the abandoned building, but shorter if you ran. Which, obviously, is what Tadase did. At least running kept him warm, though. Or, warmer than he would be if he walked. He arrived at the abandoned building in no time and was just about to knock on the window when he heard a voice; Amu's voice.

"Tadase…I'm sorry…"

He blinked and looked at the window. It was opened slightly. He crouched down and examined the window, debating whether it would be a good idea to open it further, if even possible. He noticed Amu, crying on the floor and immediately forgot that thought. He opened his mouth, not quite used to using his voice to speak to Amu, since they mostly just gestured or wrote since Tadase found her.

"A-Amu…" he stammered.

Amu looked over after hearing someone call her name. Her eyes widened when she seen Tadase sitting near the window again. She rubbed her eyes and face and stared at Tadase, completely shocked. Firstly, at the fact that Tadase lost the honorific on her name. As well, the fact that he had come and even noticed the opened window. She quickly stood up, holding back the pain.

"Tadase!" she said quietly. "W-what are you doing here…?"

Tadase laughed, and Amu nearly fainted after hearing it for the first time in several days. "What? I can't visit my girlfriend while she's kidnapped, to make up for when I missed you yesterday?"

Amu felt tears form in her eyes again. "Tadase…I-I've missed hearing your voice…"

Tadase smiled sadly. "So have I… Are…are you okay?"

Amu shook her head. "Do I look okay to you? I probably look like a freaking alien or mutant by now. Those sons of bitches don't care about anything at all, do they?"

Tadase's sad smile turned into an amused smile. "This place has turned you into a bad mouth, Amu."

Amu covered her mouth. "Sorry. But they are sons of bitches. It's not like I'm lying."

Tadase chuckled. "I understand. Don't worry. It's just amusing hearing you say something like that." He paused for a second, seemingly examining the window. "Hey…do you think this opens any further?"

Amu looked at Tadase as if he were crazy. "Why would you want to open it any further? It might get me in trouble."

"I just really missed you, okay?" Tadase said. "It's not like I want to climb in. As much as I'd love to. I wouldn't even fit."

Amu laughed lightly. "I mean, you could try. But it's your fault if I get in trouble for it."

"I'll take whatever you took once we get out." Tadase promised. "Is the window loud? That would be really bad if I tried to move it and it made a sound."

Amu shook her head. "I don't think so. If you moved it over bit by bit, it might not make as much as a noise."

Tadase smiled and grabbed the window, pushing it back carefully. To both of their surprise, it moved effortlessly and noiselessly. Tadase grinned and pushed it back enough to reach his hand through. Then his head. Amu stared in amazement. In such an abandoned building there's a perfectly working window. Amu's life being kidnapped may have just gotten a tad bit better.

"Amu." Tadase said once he got the window open enough. "Come here."

Amu bit her lip and stepped closer to the window. "Tadase…are—are you sure? With the way I look, even I—"

Tadase reached through the window and cupped Amu's face. Not letting her get another word in, he kissed her with all the love and affection he had kept inside him since she had gotten kidnapped. He may have been in an uncomfortable position, but he didn't care. All he cared about was Amu.

Amu didn't hesitate much to kiss back. It was a long and loving kiss, both moving in sync with each other despite their uncomfortable positions. Unfortunately, they had to part for air. Tadase smiled at Amu, quickly pecking her lips once more. Amu flushed as she smiled back.

"I love you so much." Tadase said, caressing Amu's cheek. "And I miss you even more."

Amu grinned. "I love and miss you too, Tadase. But…can you not come tomorrow? I'm afraid something will happen…"

Tadase seemed disappointed, but nodded. "Oh, but before I go, I have something to tell you."

Amu looked at Tadase. "What is it?"

Tadase took a breath, then explained quickly what he had told their friends hours earlier. With each word, Amu's smile got wider and wider. Tadase caressed Amu's hair after explaining everything. They stayed in a comfortable silence for a while.

"You'll be telling Yaya, Nade, and those guys too, right?" Amu asked. "Do you have their contact info?"

Tadase nodded. "They all gave me their numbers when we visited them that time. I'll call them tomorrow. And we'll come over as soon as possible. Hang tight until then, okay? I promise, we'll come for you within a week."

"Thank you." Amu said. "So much. If it weren't for you, I wouldn't have a reason to be trying to fight back."

"Before I go..." Tadase moved his hand from Amu's head and closed the window back to what it was before. "Even though I already said this, I'll say it again to make up for tomorrow. I love you."

"I love you too, Tadase." Amu said. "Now go before you get caught or something."

Tadase smiled. "Goodnight, Amu."

Amu nodded and waved. Tadase waved back and stood up, feeling very pleased with himself now. He tightened the scarf around his neck and set back off to his house, smiling all the while. His lips still tingled from the kiss. He missed that; kissing Amu. Once they got Amu out of that hellhole, he would kiss her every day. Just to show how much he loved her.

He smiled wider and entered his house, immediately going up to his room and reflect on his day. And also think about what to say to Amu's old friends. On top of that, how did he know if they would even come this far? It took at least three hours to drive there the first time. And Tadase doubted any of them knew anyone who could drive, so they'd have to take a bus or something. He sighed, his mood going down slightly as he thought about that. He felt bad for Amu. He felt bad for their friends. But most of all, he felt bad for himself.


	23. Chapter 23

**-Chapter Twenty-Three-**

Amu's old friends were really surprised to hear that Amu was kidnapped. And more so surprised that she's been kidnapped for over a week or two and tortured. Nevertheless, they all agreed to working together to get Amu out. Yaya was literally sobbing hearing the news, Kukai was fuming mad, probably ready to punch people in the face. Everyone else was just speechless.

Tadase visited Amu again to tell her he finished getting everyone to help him bust her out. Amu looked…a little bit better, surprisingly. Maybe most of the older scars and bruises had healed up and all that was left was the most recent scars and bruises.

"Everyone?" Amu questioned. "What about Lulu? Or Ikuto? They should know about this too; they're also my friends."

"Oh. I totally forgot about those two." Tadase admitted. "Sorry. I'll tell them…tomorrow. I promise I'll get you out soon."

Amu smiled. "It's okay. They haven't touched me for a while. I've tried to be good and _not _get on their bad side. They don't feed me enough here, though…"

Tadase gave Amu a worried look. "I think I have some food on me if you'd like."

Amu shook her head. "I'm fine. For now. They gave me a little extra food for not messing up the job they made me do. Thanks though."

Tadase sat for a while, thinking. His hands went into his pocket momentarily, and he felt his cellphone. He pulled it out and looked at it. Maybe this wasn't a good idea, but…Tadase wanted Amu to be able to call for help or support if she ever needed it.

"Amu…I know this might be stupid…but I want you to take this." He slipped the phone through the small open part of the window—they didn't care to open it further today. "If they start getting bad…just call the police anonymously. And, if you need support…call me. My father has an extra cellphone, which is in the contacts on that phone under 'Dad's Extra'. I'll just tell him I lost my phone. No one calls me but my dad anyways."

Amu hesitantly took the phone from Tadase. "But…what if I get caught…?"

"Keep it hidden." Tadase said. "They don't seem to go far into your room anyways. And it's already on silent. So you don't need to worry about it going off. Just take it, Amu. For your own safety."

Amu bit her lip and nodded looking at the phone and slipping it in what was left of the pocket in her skirt. "Thanks, Tadase. I'll use it well."

Tadase smiled and nodded. "No problem, Amu. I should probably get going, though…it's getting late, and I have homework."

"Okay, Tadase." Amu said. "I hope you have an excuse for me by the way."

Tadase chuckled. "Don't worry. I've got everything covered. I'll see you tomorrow."

"I love you." Amu whispered suddenly.

Tadase smiled. "I love you too Amu."

Tadase remembered what Amu said and went home to call Ikuto and Lulu. Both were eager to help break Amu out, Ikuto almost yelling at Tadase to tell him where she's at. Tadase laughed awkwardly at that. Ikuto was peculiar sometimes. He was happy to have so many people to help Amu. Amu came so far from being a secretly awkward, 'cool n spicy' girl to someone with a lot of people who cared about her.

He thinks back to when they first met. She had acted to cold towards him, but it intrigued him to want to know if she was actually like that or if she was just putting on an act. And then when he actually learned about her real personality, he couldn't resist falling for her more. Her real personality; shy and awkward, but also bubbly and energetic when she was with friends. That's the one thing Tadase loved most about Amu. She was also fairly optimistic, charismatic and…spunky.

Tadase smiled reminiscing the first time Amu hugged him after Saaya said bad-mouthed her. It felt…right almost. Which was why he decided to call her by her first name instead of her surname. And, even though Amu was crying, she still looked beautiful. Still, all he wanted to do was make her stop crying; which he did. It was a relief seeing Amu smile again. He wished he could go back to that and take care of Saaya differently. Or…just not leave to go to the bathroom.

Their first kiss, the dare from Amu when they were in the hospital, wasn't just a random kiss to Tadase. He felt something. A spark he hadn't felt with Saaya at all. That was when he realized…maybe he never did like Saaya, let alone love her. Perhaps he just dated her because he was afraid to reject someone. He felt…dirty suddenly. If Tadase _hadn't _dated Saaya and met Amu…things would be different. And not like this.

He sighed and stared at the sheet of paper in front of him, completely forgetting he was working on homework. He sighed and put it aside, moving to his bed and lying on it. He stared at the ceiling, trying to remember every bit of Amu before all of this happened. Her bubble-gum pink hair that was so soft and ironically smelled like strawberries; her honey-golden eyes that were so easy to get lost in if you stared into them for too long. He smiled again, thinking about _her _smile. Her beautiful smile that made Tadase want to make her smile all day. Her pink lips, also soft, and almost always sweet tasting, perhaps because of lip chap or lip gloss.

Suddenly, instead of a ceiling, he was staring up at an illusion of Amu's face, smiling and laughing. He smiled and reached up, knowing 100% that it was just a hallucination caused by thinking about her too much. He didn't care though. He moved his hand so it looked like he was stroking illusion Amu's cheek. He fell asleep smiling; his dreams were fond memories of he and Amu together. He was glad she might be coming back soon.

_Might. No, not might. She _will _come back soon._

* * *

**A/N: Guys, I'm so so _so _sorry about not posting for a while. I got lazy and distracted and school started up again and-(takes a breath)-yeah. I have not given up on this! I'm just a lazy idiot who never gets things done on time. But, if you guys haven't read my New Years story for Tadamu, you should go check it out on my page! /self advertising like a boss. **

**Sorry this is short. Someone reviewed thinking I gave up so I had to finish this up quickly. Its mainly just a filler but shush; I didn't know how to make a quick chapter to clear things up. I apologize again for taking forever to update. I hope this is good enough for you guys... **


	24. Chapter 24

**-Chapter Twenty-Four-**

Tadase didn't expect Saaya to appear and sabotage the meeting. Everything was fine until Saaya jumped in with a switchblade (which should technically be illegal). How had she even found all this information out in the first place? Was there a spy in their group, or was Saaya just a stalker? Tadase sighed slightly and stood up to face Saaya so no one else would get hurt.

Saaya tensed up slightly, as if preparing for an argument or something similar. Tadase stopped several feet in front of Saaya, crossing his arms. Saaya seemed slightly hesitant, but stood her ground, switchblade ready to swipe. A sneer was on her face.

"Saaya. Put the knife down." Tadase said carefully. "What are you doing here? You don't seem like you want to help."

"You can't leave." Saaya replied darkly. "They're not done with her yet. You're not allowed to save her."

Saaya stepped forward, wielding her blade. Tadase knew Saaya didn't want to hurt him. But he also knew that if she had to, she _would _hurt him. Saaya was the type of person who would get anything she wanted if it was the last thing she did, even if how she got it was crazy. Tadase stood his ground, almost daring Saaya to try hurt him.

Behind Tadase, his friends were standing up, waiting to see what would happen. They were all huddling together, possibly fearing they'd get hurt as well. Nagihiko was trying to calm them all down, or at least encourage them not to be scared. Tadase glanced back at Nagihiko and gave him a small signal. Nagihiko nodded and pulled out his phone, turning around as he dialed a number and put the phone it to his ear.

"Why don't we talk about this?" Tadase asked calmly. "Like normal people. Instead of resorting to violence."

Saaya seemed to hesitate. As if she was unable deny a request from Tadase. She looked at the blade in her hand, then back at Tadase. An intense look was on her face. "If you won't cooperate with me, then I'll _have _to use violence."

Tadase stepped back, slightly surprised at Saaya's words. "You—you don't _have _to, Saaya. You just _want _to."

"I'm not afraid to hurt you, Tadase." Saaya said. "Since you didn't seem to care if _you _hurt me."

Tadase sighed. "Saaya, I just couldn't do it. You were moving too fast for me… If you'd just understand that love isn't just about sex—"

"Shut up!" Saaya shouted, slashing Tadase with her blade. "I—I was just doing what everyone else did!"

Tadase winced. The girls behind him screamed slightly. Tadase clamped his hand on his arm in attempt to stem the blood flow. Saaya seemed surprised at her own actions at first. She looked at the blade, which had Tadase's blood on it. Then she laughed.

"You're crazy, Saaya!" Tadase exclaimed.

At that moment, Nagihiko came back in. He noticed what was going on and quickly moved to lead the girls out of the area so they wouldn't get hurt as well. Saaya seemed angry at Tadase's words and pounced at the blonde. They fell to the ground. Saaya seemed ready to stab or slash at Tadase. Tadase, for once in his life, was afraid for his own life instead of Amu's. He wanted to shout for help, but knew if he said anything, he'd be dead.

"Me? Crazy?" Saaya laughed again. It sounded slightly maniacal. The blade inched closer to Tadase's skin. "I think _you're _the one who's crazy. You're crazy for dumping someone as beautiful and perfect as me!"

Tadase tried to say something intelligent or clever. His arm was bleeding out and he felt it soaking his shirt and running down his skin. He felt…weak. Now he understood how Amu had been feeling throughout all of this. He examined Saaya's face carefully, looking for any signs of guilt or regret. All he saw was hatred and the want for revenge.

"Stop right there!" a voice shouted. "This is the police. We'll give you 10 seconds to get off that young man and drop the weapon. If you don't obey, you will be charged."

Saaya hesitated. She groaned in annoyance and glowered down at Tadase. "You did this, didn't you? You called the cops on me!"

"Ma'am. I need you to get off that young man!" a police officer called again. "Or we'll have to pull you off and arrest you."

Before Saaya could even say or do anything else, a police officer stormed in and hauled Saaya to her feet, holding her arms behind her back. He turned to a gloved man next to him and handed him Saaya's now confiscated switch blade. "Take this in for evidence. Also, get some help for the young man. He seems to be injured."

The other male nodded and put the blade in a bag he pulled out of a pocket. He walked up to Tadase and offered his hand down. Tadase stood up and held his arm. The police officer holding Saaya eyed Tadase up and down and hummed slightly.

"Let's try and figure things out at the police station." He said. "After that, we can decide who's at fault here."

Tadase nodded slowly. "Yes, sir. I also have some other things to request when we get there."

The police officer nodded. "You can talk about any concerns you have. We'll also call your parent or guardian for authority reasons."

Several minutes later, Tadase was at the districts police station, telling the police officer his personal information for record. Saaya was in a different part of the station doing the same thing. Tadase wondered how much of what she was telling the police officer was true. He should've requested to have her attached to a lie detector. Maybe if the two stories are different, they'll realize someone is lying and do it anyways, though.

"First of all, I'd like to ask you a few questions." The police officer said, pulling Tadase from his thoughts. "When Miss Yamabuki ambushed you, what were you doing?"

Tadase thought for a second. He obviously couldn't say they were planning a breakout, even if it was an illegal capturing. "My friends and I were…planning something. For another one of our friends. None of us expected her to come in."

The police officer nodded. He typed some things on the computer before looking back at Tadase. "What is your relationship with Yamabuki-san? If anything at all."

"She's an ex-girlfriend." Tadase said. "We split up a little over a year ago."

"Had she done anything like this before to you?"

Tadase licked his lips nervously. "Not to me… But to my current girlfriend, Hinamori Amu."

The police officer hummed and typed some things on his computer. There was a silence that Tadase found very uncomfortable. Finally, the police officer looked back at Tadase. "Our files say the name you mentioned has been missing for three weeks. Do you know what happened to her?"

Tadase nodded slowly. He took a breath. "I'm not sure if you'll believe any of this, but I'll allow you to let me go under a lie detector if you don't." He played with his hands nervously. "Saaya…she has a fairly long history of abusing Amu. It started when Amu first entered our school several months ago. Saaya was jealous, I guess. Though I didn't have any intentions to date Amu, despite finding her pretty and all that. She called Amu some rude things during lunch that afternoon when I had left to go to the washroom. Then, after that at the end of the day, she attacked Amu in an alleyway when I was, once again absent to get something.

"After that, she started threatening Amu through notes. I still have the notes, which I gave to my father, the principle of the school. That was how she got suspended. Then, when I _did _start dating Amu, weird things started happening to her. Amu felt like she was being followed. She had nightmares. We concluded that she was being stalked by someone sent out to kill her…and I think…I mean, I _know _Saaya is the one who did it…"

The police officer stopped Tadase with his hand. "I'll bring Yamabuki-san out and ask her if all of this is true. Since _she's _the suspect, we'll have _her _hooked up to a lie detector. If you'd like, you can go wait in the lobby if you'd like. We called your father, but he was busy. Is there any other guardian or elder that you trust that can sign some papers and all that?"

Tadase nodded and told the police officer Ikuto's contact information. He was about to stand up to leave when he remembered something important. "Oh. One more thing, if you don't mind. It revolves around Amu's missing case."

"Go ahead." The police officer seemed interested.

"I've been looking for her since she went missing." Tadase said. "But now I think I know where she is. I also think she's being tortured, perhaps to death. Also…Saaya is also the one who had her kidnapped, I believe."

The police officer hummed and nodded. "Thank you, Hotori-kun. You've been very helpful. I'm sorry all of this happened to you. If all of what you said is true, Yamabuki-san will have a lot of charges at hand. We well find a sufficient way to take care of her. You may go."

Tadase stood up and bowed. It felt good to get all of that off his chest. Especially to someone with authority who can help. He quickly and quietly made his way to the lobby of the office to wait for Ikuto to come pick him up. If the man even _did _come. He sighed and rubbed his bandaged up arm. He hoped that, if Tadase couldn't do anything to help Amu, the police _could_.

* * *

**A/N: Oh, hey. It's been a while (again). Sorry. I wasn't sure what to do with this chapter for a while. I wanted it to be something important. It's not exactly long. But it's not short either. So it's kind of like...in between. I don't know. But yeah. Also a bit of a filler for Tadase's explanation of what happened. But oh well. If I hadn't have done that, it probably would just barely be over 1K words, since it would've been just, 'Tadase explained to the police officer exactly what happened between Amu and Saaya over the past two or three months.'**

**Anyways. School started back up again, so I don't know how frequent these late updates will be. Hopefully, I can either make a schedule for this and my other non-anime related fanfic, or just try my best to get everything done.**


	25. Chapter 25

**-Chapter 25-**

Amu was getting a bit lonely. She really wished Tadase could just...break her out somehow. Maybe she could fit through the window? She sighed, wondering where Tadase was. Was he on his way here? Or perhaps he was talking to their friends. She glanced over at the ground next to her, where Tadase's phone was lying, hidden behind the cloth the kidnappers gave her (probably out of sheer annoyance from her complaining) as a blanket.

Of course, she wanted to text Tadase. But she was afraid to get caught. She frowned to herself and looked up at the ceiling. Why Tadase hadn't given up by now was beyond Amu. It had probably been almost a month by now since she'd been kidnapped, yet he still insisted on trying to get Amu out somehow. Even Amu had given up on herself. She'd completely given up resisting and just let the men do what they wanted. She was probably already broken beyond repair. Both mentally and physically.

"Tadase..." she mumbled. "I want to live...but is that really possible?"

Tadase ended up being convinced by Ikuto to go home instead of waiting around at the police station. Night had already fallen anyways and Tadase's father would be home soon anyways. Tadase hadn't even realized how long he'd been in the police station for. He would've probably been with Amu by the time he got home. He'd have to explain why he couldn't come later. As in...probably as soon as he got into his room. Which was exactly what he did.

He pulled out his father's extra phone and quickly messaged Amu an apology and explanation. He didn't expect a response; he just wanted Amu to understand what happened and all that. Or at least to see that 'seen' notification pop up under his message. He sighed and put the phone down getting up to the shower and get ready for bed.

When he came back into his room, nothing had changed on his phone. He was slightly disappointed, but what was he to expect? Amu obviously wouldn't be able to respond quickly, if not even at all. He just hoped that the police could help them...

The following day, Tadase was called into the police station again to discuss the situation. Thankfully, Tadase was smart enough to give them Ikuto's contact information over his father's. Ikuto took him to the police station, with the excuse that he was taking Tadase out for a bit. Ikuto had said that Saaya would be there too, but Tadase didn't really care. He just wanted to end all of this.

They entered the police station and an officer escorted Tadase to an interrogation room in the back. He mentioned that Saaya was here, but for now, it was just an individual confrontation from both parties. Tadase nodded and sat down in the chair provided.

"So, we talked to Yamabuki-san yesterday about what you told us." the officer said. "She denied everything, but the lie detector helped us greatly. She'll be staying here for a while in our on-site jail. We informed her parents and thought it would be helpful to get some more information from you."

Tadase nodded. "What would you like to know? I'll tell you what I know."

"Firstly, I believe you mentioned you knew something about the missing person case on Hinamori Amu-san." the officer said. "Tell me exactly how everything happened."

"Well, I explained most of it yesterday, but..."

Tadase explained everything about what happened between Amu and Saaya from their first meeting, to what happened before Amu was kidnapped. The officer took avid notes on everything, nodding every so often. Tadase was almost getting teary just talking about Amu and all the pains she went through.

"Now, you said you might know the whereabouts of your friend? Hinamori-san, I mean." the officer questioned.

Tadase nodded slowly. "Yes. I was walking around one day and seen a suspicious looking supposedly abandoned building. It looked like it had been recently used, so I looked around to see if it was just some homeless person who was using it for shelter, or something else. At the time, I was also still trying to look for Amu, or at least find some traces of her in order to help in some way."

"Would you mind explaining or drawing a map of where this building is?" the officer asked. "So we can get a proper investigation going and look for more suspects?"

Tadase agreed and the officer gave him a pad and pen to draw with. He drew the approximate area with specific landmarks and stores for a better idea. He even tried to recall the street it was on, for the sole purpose on getting Amu out sooner rather than any later. He put the pen down and pushed the pad in front of the officer.

"It might not be easy to understand, but I tried my best." Tadase said.

The police officer looked at the paper and nodded. "Thanks. We'll try and find the location and get an investigation immediately. In the mean time, I'd like you to stay here with your guardian. If you'd like, you can visit Yamabuki-san."

Tadase nodded and stood up and let the officer lead him out of the interrogation room. Ikuto nodded at Tadase and the police officer went to another office to talk to, presumably, the police chief about the investigation and case. Tadase sighed and sat down, Ikuto following suit. Now all Tadase could do was wait again. Even if he really just wanted to be with Amu again.

* * *

**A/N: Really sorry for this shortish chapter and really late update. I didn't have a word processing software after my Microsoft trial ended for a while, so I couldn't write too much. I wasn't entirely sure how to end this, but I really wanted to get this done. I was going to put this on hiatus, but because I needed a spreadsheet software for something, I downloaded a new free software set (that came with a spreadsheet, powerpoint type thing, and word processor), I now have a way to write. So we're all good. It might still take a while, but just be patient. I won't be giving up on this until...well it ends obviously. Then I'll have no choice but to give up on it. Haha. **

**Anyways, I hope you enjoyed this. I'll try my best to get the next chapter up quickly (pretty sure I said that last chapter but oh well.)**


	26. Chapter 26

**-Chapter 26-**

A couple hours later, Tadase was sitting in a police van with Ikuto and some other officers, watching a camera planted in one of the police officer's jackets. He sighed slightly, wishing he could be the one running into the abandoned building after breaking in. Of course, he wasn't that powerful. Police officers were much stronger and more helpful than him, after all. He was just a teenager. He should have just come to the police in the first place...

Ikuto touched Tadase's shoulder. "Hey. You tried to do it yourself. And that's all that matters. Do you want to borrow my phone to talk to your friends? To tell them you contacted the police and that they're trying to help Amu out?"

Tadase shook his head. "Whatever. It's none of their business I got the police's help. I know they care. But they might ask too many questions. I'll tell them later."

Ikuto frowned, but nodded slightly. He wanted to do something to make Tadase feel better, but he had no idea how to, not used to comforting people. He sighed and patted Tadase's shoulder awkwardly. Tadase didn't seem to care that much and just ignored the taller, watching as the police officers finally broke into the building after deciding whether it was safe or not.

"Check every room." The police chief, who was in the van with Tadase and Ikuto, said to the officers via a Bluetooth headpiece in his ear. "There may be other things besides the girl."

The officers nodded affirmatively and noisily barged into each and every room, grabbing anything that looked like it could be evidence for another charge besides kidnapping and torture. Each room the officers went into, Tadase held his breath, hoping it to be the one Amu was in, and each time it turned out to be empty (save for some suspicious boxes and weapons), Tadase felt worse.

What if the kidnappers had heard the police coming and left, dragging Amu with them? For all Tadase knew, Amu might not even be in the _building _anymore. That thought made Tadase want to curl up and cry. And he wasn't the type to cry very often. Tadase didn't even want to think about what Amu was being put through now, if anything.

Ikuto had left the van a while ago, either too impatient or too anxious. Tadase was getting to that point too, but he couldn't leave. He _needed _to be present or at least get to _see _Amu when she gets found. Otherwise, he'd feel...like he wasn't there to help. He sighed and covered his face, momentarily removing his gaze from the screen in front of him.

"Hotori-kun?" The chief questioned. "Are you okay? If you're not feeling well, you can wait outside with Tsukiyomi-kun. We'll tell you if anything happens."

Tadase shook his head, removing the headphones, which allowed him to hear what the officers said, momentarily. "I want to see what's going on."

"Well, just know that you're free to leave－" the chief cut himself off after hearing something from the officers and detectives in the building. "What? You think you have a trail on her? Well hurry up then! Find her, we don't have all day!"

Tadase quickly looked up at the screen. One of the officers had a cellphone in his hand-Tadase's cellphone. He put hit headphones back on swiftly as to not miss anything else. Just in time, he heard a scream. A familiar sounding scream. His eye's widened.

"S-sir...th-that was..." He stammered. "A-Amu...chan..."

"Follow it." the chief told the officers. "Follow the sound of her scream. _Now_!"

Tadase bit his lip. He hoped Amu was okay. What could that scream have meant? Did the kidnappers do something to hurt her? He leaned closer to the screens in front of him, watching diligently. He wanted to do something. He _really _wanted to help Amu...but he couldn't.

Apparently, Amu's kidnappers claimed there was someone in the building with them. They looked panicked when they barged into the room they were keeping Amu in, grabbing her roughly and dragging her out. She had no time to grab the phone. And even if she could have, the men would've ended up finding it and hurting her. And she didn't like being hurt by them.

It was probably better to leave it in the room anyways. If someone _was _in the building, maybe they were here to help Amu. Maybe...it was Tadase and all of her other friends. And if someone was in the building...then surely they'd be able to hear her if she shouted really loudly...right? She bit her lip.

"LET GO OF ME!" She shouted, screaming loudly afterwards.

But all that led to was her getting slapped. Then suddenly, a cloth was placed over her mouth and nose, and after a couple seconds, everything went black. She was put unconscious by something. The men didn't bother to pick her up or anything and just dragged her limp body behind them, trying to run and get away from whoever was on their case.

"Can't we just kill her?" one of the men asked.

Another one shook his head. "We'd be defying our orders if we did. Even if I want to just get rid of her too."

"This is stupid. Why did that girl insist we don't kill her?" the first man grumbled. "If she hated her, why not just automatically kill her?"

"Beats me." the second man shrugged. "At least she won't be loud anymore now that she's unconscious. Otherwise, we'd be screwed."

"Men, stop blabbering and get moving." a third man said in an irritated tone. "We could get caught any second. And it won't be the bitch's fault this time."

"Yes, sir." the two other men mumbled and continued dragging Amu forwards.

"Have you found anything else?" the chief asked.

"Negative, sir." an officer said. "But there seems to be a lot of messes around. As if someone was in a hurry and kept knocking things over. Perhaps they're trying to escape?"

"Then hurry up and find them!" The chief and Tadase shout simultaneously, despite them only being able to hear the chief.

The men nodded and Tadase sighed again. There hadn't been any leads on Amu after that scream...could she be unconscious, or worse, dead? Tadase didn't want to think about it. He massaged his temples.

_Please be okay..._ He thought. _Amu..._

After what seemed to be an eternity to Tadase, the police officers finally found something other than drugs and weapons. It wasn't anything of importance, but the officers said that it may have been used to make Amu go unconscious. The dust on the ground also seemed to have been disturbed, perhaps by Amu (or someone) being dragged across the floor. Obviously, all that information was collected by the detective on scene, not Tadase.

Still...all this information both scared Tadase, and made him feel relieved. Amu was hopefully only unconscious. _Hopefully_. But still, doubting thoughts flowed through Tadase's mind. What if they'd already left already? Maybe they were already running away from the building. Tadase's hand curled into a fist loosely.

"I-I...I need to take a break..." he stammered. "I'll...be back."

He got up and left the car. Ikuto looked over, confused. He started to say something, but Tadase ignored it. He had to do something no matter what. Even if it meant...sacrificing himself. For Amu...Tadase would do anything. He ran away from the van and towards the back of the building. There had to be a back exit somewhere. That was probably where they were headed.

"I'm coming for you, Amu..." Tadase mumbled to nothing. "Wait for me. You can't be dead...right?"

Imagining Amu smiling and nodding eased Tadase's nerves a bit, but that didn't mean it was true. He sped up a bit. He hoped Ikuto didn't plan on following him. Or telling the police chief he'd run off. This was something Tadase had to do. For Amu's sake, and for his own sake as well. The police officers may have been professionals, but if someone gets away when the place isn't surrounded properly...then what?

It started raining as Tadase was circling the building, looking for some alternate exit. Somehow, it didn't surprise Tadase that this would happen. Frankly, it set a good mood and expressed his feelings quite well. He bit his lip for the umpteenth time that evening and opened the door he stopped in front of. He was soaking wet and out of breath. But if he could catch Amu's kidnappers, it didn't matter. He hid for a while, so if they did come, he could surprise them...though he wasn't sure what good it would do...

"Amu..." he whispered to the air. He closed his eyes momentarily and rested his head against the wall. "The things I do for you..."

He heard some movement and tensed up slightly. Peeking up from behind the wall he was hiding behind, he looked around. A box had fallen. But there was no one in sight. He sighed. Worked up for nothing. He was about to go back to his hiding spot when he caught sight of some shadows ahead of him. It could have been one of two things-Amu and her kidnappers, or the police officers. Hopefully, it was the former.

Then, he heard someone swearing. "Shit. They found us. Run!"

Which meant...Amu was close by. And so were the police. Tadase wasn't sure how to feel. Relieved? Hopeful? Scared? He clenched his fist and watched the shadows, now silhouettes, come closer to where Tadase was hiding. The men seemed conflicted. The officers, appearing now, didn't hesitate to move closer. One of them said something into their earpiece.

"Drop the girl and surrender." The officer up front said. He held his gun up. "Carefully now. Any sudden movement and I'll shoot you."

"Y-you can't stop us." the man holding Amu's limp body said. He pulled Amu to her feet, holding her steady. "If you shoot...I'll kill her." Tadase's eyes widened as the man pulled something from his pocket. He unsheathed it and it shimmered slightly in the darkness. "That way...everyone wins, right?"

Tadase wasn't sure what to do. He could call out for Amu...or stay quiet and try to sneak up on them. Either would probably lead to him, or even Amu, getting hurt. He rubbed his temples and creeped closer to the kidnappers. He nearly broke into a run when he heard the now awake Amu scream at the sight of the knife being held up to her neck. Before he could get any closer, he was stopped.

"Who are you?" the officer demanded, and Tadase thought it was in reference to the kidnappers of Amu. "In the back. With the blonde hair. Who are you? What are you doing here?"

Tadase blinked. He swore mentally. He'd been caught by the cops...how would he explain why he was here? He took another step forward. "Amu...I-I came for Amu." That was all he could say. Then the kidnappers turned around. They had a new, better reason to kill Amu now.

"T-Ta...da..se...?" Amu mumbled hoarsely.

Tadase fell to the floor, relieved, scared, and nervous all at the same time. "I'm sorry, Amu..." He could feel the tears welling up in his tear ducts.

* * *

_**A/N: EDIT: I'm reposting this because no one seemed to notice it the first time I posted it. I'm almost done the next chapter, too, so expect that soon too. **_

_**HONTONI GOMENASAI, MINNA. (I'm really sorry, guys)**_

_**I keep saying I'll finish chapters quickly...then get immediately lazy and procrastinate. But a couple days ago, I finally thought of a way to end this chapter, so I figured I'd better get it done before I forget the idea. (I don't know why, but my document said this file was over 2k words, yet when I uploaded it to the doc manager, it said it was only 1888 words)**_

_**Also, if the chapter seems a bit abrupt or rushed, I'm sorry. I didn't mean for it to end up that way. I just wanted to get this finished before I started feeling guilty. **_

_**-has no idea how stakeouts work despite watching multiple cop shows-**_


	27. Chapter 27

**-Chapter 27-**

Amu's eyes starting tearing up upon seeing Tadase. She bit her lip, not wanting to say anything just in case it got her killed. She looked from her captors, to the cops in front of her, and then back to Tadase. It was so many against three, but what could Tadase do? The cops had guns...Tadase had nothing. Amu didn't want Tadase to get hurt though.

They held each other's gaze for a while. Amu felt like she could see everything about Tadase. How he felt when Amu went missing, how he's felt while she was stuck in this building, how he felt now that he was standing right in front of her. She looked away, feeling guilty and unworthy of Tadase's worried eyes. Her eyes flickered to glance a the sharp, shiny steel in front of her neck.

The officers dismissed Tadase as friendly after being told something through their earpieces, Amu presumed. Their attention was back on her captors, their guns ready to shoot if needed. Out of the corner of her eyes, Amu noticed Tadase rise back to his feet. He seemed a little dazed, as if either unsure what to do or something. Amu could feel the cold steel getting closer to her neck.

"If you kill me, she'll die with me." the man holding Amu threatened.

Amu was vaguely aware of the other men whispering, but didn't know what they were talking about until one of them nodded and turned to try and grab Tadase. Tadase dodged quickly and tried to knock the man off his feet. The man ended up picking Tadase up by his shirt collar and throwing him against the boxes around them. He hit the wall behind it with a loud crashing and cracking sound. Amu wanted to help Tadase, but couldn't do anything.

Tadase stood up again, seeming injured, but still insisted on fighting the man sent to get rid of him. He tried to punch him in the face, but the man grabbed his wrist and kneed him in the gut. Amu winced. The man got closer to Tadase's doubled over figure. The man produced something from his pocket and flicked it open, revealing a knife. Amu screamed without thinking much about herself.

"Shut up!" the man holding Amu shouted, pressing the knife yet again closer to Amu's flesh.

Amu yelped quietly. She heard Tadase yell out in pain, and struggled slightly, not caring about herself anymore. Suddenly, she heard a gunshot and everything went black. She fell to the ground.

Tadase didn't know how to fight; what was he even doing? He just wanted Amu safe and out of harm. Even if that meant him getting hurt. The blow to his gut hurt a lot. It took him a while to snap out of his pain. He heard Amu scream his name, heard the man holding her tell her to shut up, then looked up, barely fast enough to avoid getting gutted by a switch blade. Instead, his arm was grazed as he leaped out of the way. He shouted in pain as he noticed Amu struggling. A bullet blasted out of one of the officer's guns, hitting the man whom he was fighting, causing him to fall. Blood gushed out of the man. Tadase looked away, just in time to see Amu's limp body fall to the cement ground. A small bit of blood fell on the ground next to, causing Tadase to gasp and rush up to her, only to get kicked aside by one of the other men.

Tadase just wanted to get to Amu, but obviously that wouldn't work. He looked up at the officers. At least the man had dropped the knife. If only Tadase could grab it... He got up on his elbows and looked from Amu to knife in front of her. He belatedly noticed the small amount of blood on the once shiny steel.

_No...does that mean...?_ He gasped. He shook his head quickly and tried to convince himself that she only fainted. _Either way...I have to get to her before something worse happens...but what?_

"Sir, I want you to come back to this side before you get any more hurt." one of the officers said to Tadase, slowly walking closer to him while watching the other men at the same time.

"B-but..." Tadase stammered. "A-Amu's hurt... I-I have to help her!"

"It's too dangerous right now." the officer said. "Leave this to the professionals, please."

Tadase bit his lip, but nodded and accepted the officers outstretch hand. By now the man that had been holding Amu had recovered the knife, but Tadase didn't realize it because the officer was in his way. Amu was still, hopefully, unconscious on the ground. The other kidnapper was still looking at the shot corpse on the ground. Tadase looked at Amu with a saddened, worried expression.

_Please be okay..._ Tadase thought to himself. He bit his lip gently, wanting to just reach out and grab Amu.

"Now, I suggest that you two give up." the officer in the center of the other men said. "Before anyone else gets hurt."

One of the men laughed. "Do you think we care if anyone else gets hurt? We were paid to torture this girl as much as possible."

"And just when did you plan on stopping?" Tadase asked before the police officers could say anything. "When she was dead?" He moved closer to the men, still unaware of the knife one had recovered. "What good is killing her going to do? Saaya thinks she can win me back just by trying to kill the one I _actually _love?! Pathetic. You're all pathetic."

"What did you just call me, kid?!" The man with the knife exclaimed. His hand moved to press the knife against Tadase's neck. "You wanna go? One move and I could kill you, _and _this little bi—"

"If you call her that word one more time, I'm going to kill you!" Tadase shouted, now really angry.

The man laughed. "How can you kill me if you're already dead?"

"Sir. Put the knife, down!" the police behind Tadase shouted, as others tried to bring Tadase back.

Neither Tadase nor the man payed any attention. He looked the man in the eyes. "Do it. I dare you. I don't care. As long as you don't touch Amu anymore, I don't care what happens to me!"

The man continued laughing. "If that's what you want, I'd be glad to kill you."

Just as he was about to slash Tadase's throat with the knife, someone else grabbed his arm and brought it behind his back. Tadase's eyes widened when he seen who had grabbed the man. The other officers had also looked surprised that someone had managed to disarm someone so quickly without being noticed.

"_N-nii-san_...?" Tadase stammered, shocked. "H-how did you find me?"

Ikuto smirked, now holding the knife in one hand, and head-locking the man with the other. "I figured you'd went after Amu as soon as you ran out of the van. I followed you, but I lost you for a bit. Until you started yelling. And when I seen you were being attacked, I couldn't just stand and watch. So I decided to sneak up on the guy."

"You...saved me." Tadase said slowly. "Again."

Ikuto tossed the knife on the ground and kicked it to the cops. "I can't just let my little bro die so easily. Then who would I have to annoy everyday? Now, what can I do with this guy?" he gestured to the man struggling in his grip, looking at the police officers.

The police were still shocked. But one of them walked up to them and took the man off of Ikuto's hands. "We'll take care of the rest of this. The chief already called an ambulance to help Hinamori-san." the man paused for a second, handing the man, who was now in handcuffs, to one of the other officers. "Ah, the chief wants you to stay back later. He wants to talk to you."

Ikuto narrowed his eyes. "Me?"

The police officer nodded. "He'll be waiting in his office at the police station. Go see him as soon as possible."

Tadase looked between Ikuto and the police officer. The other officers had surrounded the last kidnapper and were handcuffing him, too. Amu was still on the ground, which made Tadase suddenly realize that Amu was unconscious still. He quickly knelt down and touched Amu gingerly, as if she were a piece of glass that could break any second.

"Amu...?" he asked quietly, leaning closer to Amu to check if she was breathing. He sighed in relief. "Thank god you're still alive..."

He picked Amu up gently. She groaned slightly, her eyelids fluttering slightly. Tadase held his breath. Ikuto appeared by his side soon, too, looking at Amu with worry. They heard a siren outside, which meant the ambulance had arrived. Tadase rushed outside to meet the paramedics.

Several minutes later, they were in the hospital. Amu was immediately taken to be checked on, leaving Ikuto and Tadase in the waiting room. Tadase couldn't help but pace back and forth. Ikuto was sitting, looking at his phone. Tadase glanced at Ikuto and took the phone from Ikuto's hands to look at what he was doing. He tilted his head as he noticed that the phone wasn't Ikuto's.

"Wait...this is my phone." Tadase said. "I gave it to Amu in case she wanted to use it..."

"One of the police officers gave it to me while you were talking to the doctors." Ikuto explained. "I wanted to see if you had any of Amu's friends in your contacts..."

"You were thinking about calling them?" Tadase inquired.

Ikuto nodded. "Amu might need a lot of support. We don't know how long she'll be in the hospital for yet, and she might get lonely. We should at least let them know she's here. Especially her parents."

Tadase smiled slightly. "That's a good idea. I'll write down all of Amu's friends for you. And if they're in my contacts, you can tell them. If not, tell them to call anyone else Amu hangs around with."

Ikuto nodded. He looked over at the hallway leading to the examination room. Tadase turned around. The doctor was standing in the doorway, clipboard in hand. Tadase bit his lip, his mood now back to being worried for Amu. The doctor looked between Ikuto and Tadase.

"Which one of you is known as Tadase?" he asked.

Tadase stopped forward. "That's me."

"Hinamori-san just woke up... She'd been mumbling your name in her sleep for the longest time, but as soon as she woke up she starting looking around for you." the doctor said. "I think she wants to see you."

Tadase nodded. "Yes, sir. Please give me a second though. I need to talk with my brother."

The doctor nodded as well. "Take your time. She's in room 103. Now, I need to run these tests through. I'll be back to report the news soon."

With that, the doctor turned and walked down a different hall, disappearing into a room with a closed door labeled '_Test Room_'. Tadase turned around, found a piece of paper and a pen and quickly wrote down all the people Amu knew for Ikuto. Then, without hesitation, he went to find Amu's room.

Upon arriving at the room the doctor said Amu was in, Tadase took a breath. He knocked gently, then moved to turn the doorknob. He pushed the door open slowly and peered inside. The body lying in the bed turned its head, revealing a smile Tadase hadn't seen in a while. Tadase returned the smile and stepped inside.

"How are you feeling?" Tadase asked, walking towards the hospital bed.

"Not very good." Amu responded. "But I'm happy that you're here now... I had a dream where you had died. I was terrified."

Tadase grabbed Amu's hand gently. "Everything is okay now, don't worry."

Amu squeezed Tadase's hand. "I'm sorry I put you through all this..."

Tadase shook his head. "As long as you're okay, I'm happy."

Amu smiled, but winced in pain suddenly. Tadase looked at Amu worriedly. He wasn't sure what to do. Amu reassured him with a squeeze of his hand, but Tadase was still concerned. He sat at the edge of the bed and gently caressed Amu's hair. Amu seemed to lean into the touch like a cat or dog nuzzling their owner. Tadase chuckled.

"Tadase..." Amu said quietly. "I'm sorry... I-if I hadn't started dating you, none of this would've happened... Maybe it would've been better if I had never—"

Amu was cut off when Tadase suddenly kissed her. "Shh, stop saying that. I don't care what anyone else thinks about me dating you. I'm happy. Happier than I've ever been. And it's because I met you." He caressed Amu's cheek. "Sure, you've caused me a lot of trouble, but it's been exciting. I've experienced things I only dreamed of experiencing; felt emotions I never thought I'd ever get to feel."

Amu touched Tadase's face. "Ugh, Tadase...you really know how to say all the right things. I swear, everything you say is so romantic it makes me want to hug and kiss you all day." She pulled the blonde into a hug. "You sure know how to make me feel good. Thank you."

Tadase smiled and caressed Amu's hair. "You're welcome, Amu. All I want is for you to be happy."

Someone behind them cleared his throat. Tadase let go of Amu and turned around. It was the doctor again. Amu turned bright red. Tadase chuckled awkwardly. The doctor just looked slightly amused. His face went serious soon after.

"I have the results." he said. "And they're not pretty."

* * *

**A/N: Hiyaa. It seems no one noticed that I had posted chapter 26. Either that or they didn't care to review. Well, after a lot of writers block, here's the next chapter. It's really long, even though the doc manager thing says its only 2307 words. According to my document, its actually 2590.**

**Anyways, I have a poll up on my profile for what I should do after I finish this fic. Feel free to check it out and help me decide. You can choose up to two options! (out of 4 in total)**


	28. Chapter 28

**-Chapter 28-**

After the doctor explained the damage of Amu's kidnapping, Tadase and Amu sat in a long silence. The doctor left the result papers for Tadase to look at. Tadase looked from the papers to Amu, who was now sitting up on the hospital bed. Amu was looking down, playing with her fingers and frowning. Tadase looked at Amu and touched her arm gently, deciding to finally break the silence.

"It's...not as bad as you think..." he said slowly.

Amu looked at Tadase. She looked like she was about to cry. "Yes, because three broken ribs, slight blunt force trauma to the head, poisoned blood, and a bent spine is totally 'not as bad as I think'."

Tadase sighed. "The doctor said he'd find a way to get everything fixed. And...I'm sure Ikuto-niisan would be glad to help by giving you some more blood..."

Amu offered a small smile. "Tadase. I know you're just trying to help, but maybe you're thinking too much."

"I just want you to be okay..." Tadase mumbled. He looked back down at the results and put them on the table. He stood up. "Did the doctor tell you how long you'll be staying here for?"

Amu shook her head. "Probably a bit. I think he said he wanted to do some more testing. And I need to get a few surgeries, too... If I had to guess, maybe a month or two."

Tadase ran a hand through his hair. "I'm just glad you're not dead..."

Amu took Tadase's hand and squeezed it. He smiled slightly and stepped forwards to use his free hand to touched Amu's head, messing up her hair a bit. "I'm going to talk to the doctor and ask him a few questions. You try and get some rest. I'll be back in a bit."

Amu nodded and let go of Tadase's hand, slowly lying back down. She watched Tadase leave her room and waited until he closed the door until she did anything. She coughed harshly and held her sides. She groaned in pain and sighed slightly. Pulling the sheets a little higher, she closed her eyes to try and sleep away her pains. It didn't help much.

* * *

_Amu was back in that horrible place again. She was half naked, pressed against the wall in fear as her captors advanced on her, saying insults and other things that made her feel slightly uncomfortable. She slid to the ground, trying to shrink herself to be as small as possible while still trying to guard any vulnerable parts of her body with her arms and legs._

"_Come on, don't be shy." one man said. "It won't hurt. Much."_

"_As long as we do anything that will make no one want you anymore, Yamabuki-sama will be happy with us." the other man added with a sly smile. "And I think this is the best way to do it."_

_Amu screamed and tried to crawl away but ended up being grabbed and pinned to the wall. She squirmed a lot, but all it did was make the men grip her tighter. Amu closed her eyes tightly, wishing that she could just escape all of this. She felt grabbing hands and realized what they planned on doing to her. She screeched loudly and kicked on of the men in his lower region in a panic. She used that time to flee, but ended up collapsing not soon after she escaped the room. _

_Suddenly, she felt someone shaking her and calling her name. The voice sounded familiar, but she was still a bit panicked. Her heart was racing and she felt exposed. She could barely breath, either._

* * *

"Amu!"

Amu awoke with a gasp and another harsh coughing fit. Her cheeks were wet, as if she had been crying. She looked around, forgetting where she was momentarily. Spotting Tadase, she sighed in relief. Tadase's concerned face loomed over Amu's, causing her to blush slightly. Tadase sighed.

"What's wrong?" he asked. "I came back to check on you and seen you thrashing about. I was worried."

Amu rubbed her eyes and looked down. "I-I just...had a scary dream..."

Tadase ran his hands through Amu's hair. "Oh, Amu... Do you want me to stay with you for tonight? The doctor said I can stay if I wanted to anyways."

Amu bit her lip. "I-I guess..."

Tadase chuckled. "Okay. I'll tell Ikuto-niisan that he'll be going home alone later. Oh, and we have a surprise for you."

The injured pinkette frowned and tilted her head. "Surprise...?"

Tadase nodded. "You'll see. I think you're going to love it."

Amu frowned and watched Tadase leave again. She wondered what the surprise was. It could be multiple things. If it was something Tadase thought she was going to love that means it was obviously something she really wanted or something. She managed to sit up again, slowly.

Several minutes later, Tadase came back empty handed, much to Amu's surprise. Did that mean the surprise wasn't a material item? Amu tilted her head as Tadase closed the door behind him and approached Amu with a smile. Amu opened her mouth to say something, but Tadase beat her to it.

"Close your eyes." he said, covering Amu's face with his hand lightly.

Amu frowned but closed her eyes. She felt Tadase move his hand. There was silence besides a bit of movement, then, after a few minutes, Tadase told Amu she could open her eyes again. She smiled widely at the sight in front of her. Tadase certainly was right; she did love this wonderful surprise.

* * *

**A/N: Sorry this is much shorter than the previous one. (Doc Manager is still lying to my about the word count. ;-;) I wasn't sure if I should stop it here or not, but if I hadn't have stopped it here, I wouldn't have known where to end off at all. It's probably pretty obvious as to what Amu is so happy about, but oh well.**

**Also, I'm going to remind you all again that there's a poll on my page asking about what I should do whenever I finish this story. And you can feel free to PM me if you have any other ideas, too!**


	29. Chapter 29

**-Chapter 29-**

Amu wasn't sure what to expect, but when she opened her eyes, she automatically grinned. Somehow, she managed to forget her pain after seeing all of her friends, with their faces of various emotional states. Yaya was on the verge of tears; Kairi had a concerned look in his eyes, but otherwise looked like his usual, calculative, stoic self; etc.

Amu wasn't sure who to address first, there were so many people, yet so little of her. She wanted to limit her speech, as it hurt even to talk, but she still wanted to greet everyone. She stayed silent for a second or so, the grin plastered on her face as she took in everyone's gaze. Risking her voice, she tried to say something.

"_Minna_...!" she managed in a soft voice. "You're all here. But...how?"

Tadase gave her a slightly more worried look as Amu began to speak, as if saying 'what are you doing?'. Amu just shook her head and smiled at Tadase before turning her attention to all of her friends.

"We got a message from Tadase-kun." Nadeshiko said.

"Then, then, we begged our parents to let us come all the way here to see you!" Yaya exclaimed. "Tadase's father even said he'd pick us all up, and he did!"

Amu smiled. "That's good. I'm so happy you all came." she glanced over at Tadase. "And thank you so much for messaging all of my friends. You're amazing."

Tadase, who was beside Amu, smiled and patted Amu's head. "You're welcome, Amu."

"Get a room." Ikuto called from the back, causing Amu to blush and Tadase to chuckle.

"Amu-chii, when can you leave?" Yaya asked, looking at Amu with a tinge of concern and a lot of curiosity.

"I'm not sure." Amu responded. "It could be a month, or it could be a week. Hell, it—"

Abruptly, Amu broke into a coughing fit. She'd reached her limit in speech, definitely. Her chest and throat burned. She grabbed her neck lightly. Fear settled in her friends eyes, and Tadase quickly aided her, rubbing her back and offering a water bottle which had been on the table next to her. As Amu recovered from her coughing fit—which only made her pain worse—Tadase took the initiative to explain her state.

"The doctor told me that Amu still needs to go through a lot of tests and possibly a few surgeries. She's got a few broken ribs, slight blunt force trauma to the head, tainted blood, and a bent spine, as well as several bruises, and cuts.

"Some of these things can be easily fixed; a simple blood transfusion, time to heal, etcetera. But others will need more testing and surgery to fix, and the doctors are still unsure if she has any more injuries.

"Of course, I'm definitely not the best person to ask for a full analysis; you'd have to ask the doctor for that. I'm just relaying what the doctor told me, with a few of my own estimations and opinions."

Amu groaned slightly, but seemed to have stopped coughing. Tadase rubbed her back again gently. She took a large gulp of the water bottle. She sighed and wiped her mouth, looking down at her hands, hoping not to see red on them. She uttered a quiet groan; of course. The doctor had said to expect to see a bit of blood when coughing, but whenever it happened, it scared Amu.

"Amu, are you okay?" Tadase asked. "Is something wrong?"

Amu shook her head. "Fine. I'm...fine." she paused. "Actually...I have to go to the washroom."

Tadase looked at Amu. "Really? Then I'll take you and wait outside."

Amu looked down but nodded. As long as no one else seen, she figured it would be okay if just Tadase seen. Even still, she tried to hide her hands as Tadase helped ease her off the hospital bed and move her through the crowd of friends. If Tadase noticed Amu had coughed up blood, he didn't say anything about it. He just helped her to the nearest bathroom and waited outside.

Amu locked the door behind her and made her way towards the mirror. Regretting looking at herself, she quickly looked down at the sink and turned on the water. She washed her hands quickly and then splashed some water on her face. It felt foreign; like it wasn't even her own face. That thought kind of scared her. She shook her head quickly and dried her hands.

After finishing her business in the washroom, she left and was met with Tadase, who was waiting by the wall across the way from the washrooms. He eyed Amu with an ever present look of concern. Amu tried to assume a reassuring smile, but Tadase seemed to see through it.

"Amu." he said, stopping Amu as she started to walk back to her hospital room (which wasn't very hard, since Amu had to move slowly in order to not hurt herself too much). "Is something bothering you?"

Amu hesitated. "I'm happy...really. I'm really grateful that you brought my friends out."

"But?" Tadase questioned, sensing a downside.

"I feel...how can I put it?" Amu paused to think of a way to phrase what she was thinking. "I just feel...like I shouldn't be seen in such a condition."

Tadase frowned. "Why is that?"

"I looked in the mirror in the washroom." Amu explained. She almost felt like crying at this point. "And...I just...I couldn't even look at myself. And when I felt my face...it didn't feel like my face... Those...monsters really did do a number on it. If-if I _had _died, I'm sure I'd be almost unrecognizable"

Tadase pursed his lips. "Please don't talk about dying. You know how I feel about that topic. And regardless of that, you don't look _that _different. Once everything is fully healed, I'm sure you'll look like your normal, uninjured self. Not that how you look matters to me."

Amu pouted and leaned against Tadase. "I'm scared though. If I go back to school...who knows what might happen."

Tadase caressed Amu's hair gently. "That's what me and the others are here for. If you get made fun of for something, we'll easily back you up. And you definitely will not be allowed to leave the hospital, let alone go to school, for a little while. And by the time you do get out, the doctors would have made sure you're at least 99.9% okay."

Amu nodded. "Sorry. I'm being really emotional right now. It's probably annoying, isn't it?" she managed a slightly bitter laugh.

Tadase shook his head. "Not at all. I understand you're going through a lot of pressure and mental struggle, so I think I can handle a bit of crying or slight depression." He offered his hand to Amu. "Now, shall we get back to the others? I'm sure they're dying to ask you questions."

Amu nodded slowly and took Tadase's hand. Tadase gave it a reassuring squeeze and the started walking back to Amu's hospital room. Upon the arrival to her hospital room, the doctor was also there now. Some of Amu's friends were waiting outside of the room, perhaps on request of the doctor.

"Oh, Hinamori-san." the doctor said. "I don't mean to intrude on anything, but we've called your parents, and they said they wanted to see you privately."

"Oh...I see." Amu mumbled. She looked around at her friends.

"We can come back at a later time." Nadeshiko said calmly. "I bet your parents are worried sick. I think I have a place where we can all stay for now. I'm sure he wouldn't mind..."

Somehow, Amu already knew exactly what Nadeshiko meant. She nodded slowly. "I'm sorry about this, guys. And after all the effort you guys went through to get here... And Niki...even missed an airplane to see me."

Niki flashed a smile at Amu. "No big deal. I didn't want to go back to Canada in the first place."

"I feel like that's a lie." Amu smiled back. "But thanks anyways. I guess I'll see you all later."

Everyone left, hugging Amu or holding her hands. Yaya left in tears, which was no surprise to Amu. Kairi shook Amu's hand and smiled at Tadase. Kukai on the other hand, all out hugged Amu (not a bearhug, however, since he was well aware of how fragile Amu was at the moment.) Niki hugged Amu lightly and waved goodbye.

Tadase only seemed bothered by Kukai's hug. But Amu reassured Tadase by explaining that hugs where the arms lied above the shoulder blade usually only mean friendship. After much ado and several minutes of emotional hugs, only Ikuto and Tadase were left with Amu and the doctor.

"Would it be okay if I stayed with her?" Tadase asked. "I care about her well-being just as much as her parents, and maybe I can help them."

The doctor hesitated slightly. "If your her boyfriend than I guess it should be okay, as her parents should know you well. I'll go get them and ask if they mind. What about you, sir?" he looked at Ikuto.

"Huh?" Ikuto looked up. "Oh, I'm just here for...moral support."

Tadase snorted. "Don't mind him. He'll probably just stand around. Put him to work if you'd like to."

Ikuto glanced at Tadase with an annoyed look, but said nothing. The doctor just nodded and left to bring Amu's parents. Amu sighed and moved towards the hospital bed. She massaged her had lightly, a sudden pain spreading across her head.

"Are you okay?" Tadase asked, pretty redundantly, considering Amu wasn't going to be okay for a while.

"Of course I'm not okay." Amu responded. "But I'll live for now. It's just a headache."

"Do you need me to get anything for you? Like some water or a drink?"

Amu shook her head. "It's okay, don't worry." she laughed at herself. "But who am I kidding, you have every right to worry, even if I don't want you to."

Tadase rubbed Amu's shoulder. "I can't help but worry about you sometimes. You know that."

"Yeah, I know." Amu mumbled. "I just...don't like it. It's almost as if you're like my dad or something."

As if on cue, Amu's parents walked in. And of course, Amu's father came in wailing and running towards Amu, placing his hands on her shoulders as he looked her over. Amu's mother just stood by the door silently, waiting for her husband to calm down before approaching.

"How are you feeling, Amu?" she asked after her husband stopped freaking out. She seemed surprisingly calm, but perhaps that was due to the fact that Tadase was there. Or maybe Amu's mother was just always calm on the outside.

"I'm..." Amu paused. "Well, I guess for my condition I'm okay. Tadase and the others have really helped, just by being here."

Midori nodded. "That's good. At least Tadase's treating you well. I heard he helped the police find you."

Tadase looked down as Midori gave him a grateful look. "I...couldn't just sit there. My girlfriend was kidnapped by some thugs hired by my ex-girlfriend. So I did my best to find her and slowly lead the police to where she was."

"I knew you were a good choice for my Amu-chan." Amu's father said, clapping Tadase on the back.

"We just wanted to check up on you." Midori said. "But if you want to continue your visitation with your friends, we can leave. We're just glad to see you alive and well. I just hope that the doctors can get you back to normal soon..."

"We'll be back to visit tomorrow!" Amu's father called as Midori pushed him out of the door.

Amu laughed slightly, despite it hurting a bit to do so. "Those two will never change. I guess we can call the others back in if they're still here."

Tadase nodded and left to see who had stayed, leaving Amu alone. Ikuto peered in from outside of the room, noticing Amu had started a huge coughing fit. He sighed to himself and walked off to find a vending machine.

* * *

**A/N: I swear these types of websites like to lie about how many words are on the document. Either that or my writing software is lying. Anyways, REALLY sorry about the...what, 2-3 month hiatus thing. I had no idea what I was doing for a time. This chapter has been in the works for a long time.**

**But yay, Amu's friends are all here and also her parents join in too! Also this Ikuto is the kind of Ikuto I'd like. Not with Amu. Maybe with myself or something. I dunno. Anyways, sorry again, and I hope you enjoy!**


	30. Chapter 30

**-Chapter 30-**

Amu's coughing fit once again produced blood, causing her to bite her lip and look around for something to wipe her hands on. In her flurry of panic, she failed to notice Ikuto come back in holding a handkerchief and a water bottle. He looked at her for a moment before knocking the water bottle against her shoulder gently. She glanced over at him, slightly startled.

"Oh- Ikuto." she managed a smile, taking the offered bottle. "Thanks."

Ikuto nodded in response, pointing at Amu's hands. "Let me see your hands."

Amu blinked, surprised and confused at Ikuto's request. She subconsciously hid her bloodied hands even more. "W-why?"

Ikuto shook his head and carefully took Amu's wrist, opening her closed palm, revealing the blood on it. He sighed and pressed the handkerchief into her hand. "You can keep it. It's a lot better than coughing into your hand. Plus, wouldn't want you getting your germs on Tadase's hand."

Amu scoffed slightly, hitting Ikuto's arm weakly. "It's not like I'm coughing because I'm sick. I'm coughing because I can't get air into my lungs because of the multiple ribs I have broken and all the other stupid things wrong with me." she groaned. "Tadase wouldn't care anyways."

Ikuto shrugged. "Just checking if you're still the same old Amu. Your punches are weak."

"That's because _I'm _weak right now you idiot." Amu looked away, before glancing at the handkerchief in her hands. She pursed her lips. "But...thanks for this." She waved the handkerchief.

He shrugged again. "No big deal. I wasn't using it. Just thought I'd be nice to you since you're in this much pain."

She raised her eyebrows. "So you're saying that once I stop being in pain, you're gonna stop being nice?"

"Well, if you're gonna end up being my future sister-in-law, I gotta treat you like I treat Tadase." Ikuto smirked slightly as Amu flushed at the words 'sister-in-law.'

"S-sister-in-law?" she stammered, flustered at the thought of marrying Tadase. She shook her head, covering her face with her hands. "Whatever. I-I'm just gonna pretend you didn't say that…"

Ikuto snickered and sat at the end of Amu's bed, crossing his legs. "Which bothers you more? The fact that I could be your brother-in-law or the fact that Tadase could be your husband?"

Amu stayed quiet. Both were interesting thoughts that were, of course, related. No matter what, if Amu married Tadase, she would, therefore, be related to Ikuto by marriage, and she wasn't sure if that was a good thing or a bad thing. After a moment of silence, Tadase walked back into the room. No one else came into the room, meaning Tadase probably sent them away.

"Visiting hours are almost over, so I told everyone that it was okay to leave," Tadase said as if reading Amu's mind. He pulled up a chair as Ikuto stood up from the hospital bed. "Did you and Ikuto-niisan have a nice talk while I was gone?"

Amu's face flushed a soft pink as she immediately thought about the whole 'sister-in-law' thing. She looked away, covering her face again and Tadase watched as Ikuto chuckled and went back to standing by the door. Tadase looked from Ikuto to Amu with curiosity. He didn't bother to ask, knowing Amu was seemingly embarrassed, probably too embarrassed to respond, and Ikuto was secretive enough as is. The chances of him telling Tadase what Amu was getting embarrassed about were slim. He'd just tease him or something, and then change the subject. He shrugged his curiosity off.

"I asked permission to stay the night," Tadase said to change the subject. "From the doctors, not from my father yet."

He looked at Ikuto as if to say 'since you're already up, why don't you call and tell him?', causing Ikuto to roll his eyes. He understood the situation, though, and nodded, leaving the room, pulling his phone out of his pocket and closing the door behind him. Tadase turned his attention back to Amu, who still seemed embarrassed about whatever she and Ikuto talked about.

"Did Ikuto say something to you?" he asked, gently removing Amu's hands from her face.

Her honey brown eyes looked at him nervously. She still couldn't get the thought out of her head that if things went right, she could possibly marry the prince-like teenager in front of her. She bit her lip as Tadase gripped her hand and squeezed it gently. Just thinking about Tadase waiting for her at the alter in a nice fitting tuxedo made her blush. She tried to move her hands to cover her cheeks again, but Tadase held them down and made her look him in the eye.

"Amu, maybe if you tell me what you're getting embarrassed about, we can be embarrassed together?" he suggested.

Amu nodded. "Well…Ikuto and I were talking like usual. He was picking fun at me, saying that after I got better or whatever he'd stop being so nice and go back to teasing me. And then…s-somehow, the idea of me being his sister-in-law….came up." She bit her lip. "N-now I can't stop…thinking about it. B-being married…to you."

She looked down and tightened her fingers around the handkerchief, waiting for Tadase's response. Tadase licked his lips nervously. Truth be told, he'd thought about that many times before. Much more than he'd like to admit. He dreamed about it, both awake and asleep. Even before they started dating, his guilty pleasure was thinking about her in a wedding gown. Obviously, though, he couldn't say that. He rubbed his nape trying to think of a way to respond. Before he could open his mouth, the door burst open abruptly.

Startled, Amu jumped slightly and looked towards the door. "I-Ikuto? What's wrong?"

Tadase looked at Ikuto, who seemed to have a panicked look on his face. He narrowed his crimson eyes at the taller. "Niisan? Is there something wrong?"

"Do you want the good news first or the bad news?" Ikuto questioned.

While he didn't directly answer either teenager's question, they both understood something was up. And whatever it was, clearly, Ikuto was concerned. They turned their attention to Ikuto as he moved to sit at the end of Amu's hospital bed again and waited for the bad news, assuming the good news was that Tadase was allowed to stay, and the bad news was something really serious.

* * *

"What?!" Amu exclaimed. "What do you mean she's _here_?"

The sudden rise in her voice caused it to crack slightly before she broke into another coughing fit. She covered her mouth with the handkerchief, clutching her chest. Tadase rubbed her back gently, looking at her in concern. Ikuto waited until her fit was done before continuing, placing a water bottle next to her.

Amu let out an annoyed, slightly hoarse sigh once she stopped coughing. She wiped her mouth and took the water bottle, downing the rest of the bottle in one go. After a long pause, she assumed her incredulous attitude to the news Ikuto had just told them. She honestly couldn't believe it. Why was _she _here?

Ikuto shrugged. "I saw her arguing with the doctor while I was calling Tadase's old man. She seemed to be set on going to see you, but the doctor kept telling her she wasn't allowed."

"You don't think they'd let her in, do you?" Tadase asked, concerned that she might try to do something if they did let her in. "If she does, neither of us can leave no matter what. Okay?"

Ikuto looked at Amu, who shook her head. He shrugged. Tadase's hand moved to grip Amu's tightly. Amu looked at Tadase and put her free hand on top of his, caressing the back of his hand. She gave him a small, reassuring smile, which seemed to say 'whether you guys stay or not, I'll be fine.' Not that it helped ease Tadase's concern.

Yamabuki Saaya was clearly dangerous. As far as he was concerned, he'd be happy if Amu got a restraining order against her. But apparently, she was here, begging, maybe even bribing her way into Amu's hospital room. Part of him wanted to deal with her himself. It was partly his fault Amu got into this mess anyways. At the same time, though, he knew Amu wouldn't approve of him going out. After all, he could get hurt too. His limbs still ached occasionally, from the first time Saaya hurt him, even though that was an 'accident' according to Saaya.

"I'll deal with her." Ikuto suddenly said, causing both Tadase and Amu to whip their heads to stare at him incredulously. He blinked at their reaction before scoffing. "What? You guys don't trust me? Come on. I'm tall, intimidating, plus, she barely even knows me."

Tadase seemed hesitant. While everything Ikuto said was true, to which he'd never admit out loud, Ikuto already did enough as it was. Ikuto was tough. Even as a child, it took him a while to see Tadase as someone who was equal to him and his sister. Or more like, it took him a while to understand that Tadase was actually his brother now, albeit not by blood.

Tadase sighed. "You know you could get hurt, right?"

Ikuto nodded. "Yes, that's why I'm doing it. It's better me getting hurt than you or Amu. So let me go and deal with this bitch okay? Take it as me being a good step-brother for once." he looked at Amu and winked. "And step-brother-in-law."

Too flustered to say anything, Amu looked away, covering her face with the handkerchief, unconsciously getting blood on her face in the process, as the blood from her previous coughing fit hadn't dried yet. Tadase was also slightly embarrassed but was still in the right state of mind to attempt to protest. However, before he could even open his mouth, Ikuto was already gone. He sighed, rubbing his head. He just hoped everything was going to be okay. He glanced at Amu momentarily and shook his head, using his own handkerchief to wipe the blood off Amu's face, only causing her to get more flustered.

* * *

**A/N: HONTONI GOMENNASAI! -bows profusely- I'm super sorry for updating this late, and with a super lame chapter, too. At first, I wanted it to be a nice long talk with Amu's parents, but then I wanted more action or something...so this happened. **

**Also I purposely didnt name Saaya until later on, but I'm sure it was obvious who it was anyways. I was thinking about ending the chapter at just Ikuto saying there was bad news, but the chapter seemed too short so I added on.**

**The only excuse I have for this REALLY late update is laziness. But there's also a bit of writers block plus the fact that my computer is really freaking retarded (pardon my use of the word, sorry if it offends you in anyway) lately and crashes everything on me. Ugh. **

**Anyways, consider me bowing profusely until the next update. Because knowing me, it wont be for another long while again. **

**PS: Lately I've gotten into Miraculous Ladybug and was wondering if anyone was interested in a fanfic on it? Also, I have a survey on my profile about other fanfics after this one, but to keep it unbiased (half of them involve people losing their memory), I only specified the plot and not the pairing. Feel free to take a look and make an honest opionion on what plotline perks your attention. **


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